Elfrid Payton
College: Louisiana-Lafayette
Age: 20-years-old
Height: 6’4″ Weight: 185 Lbs
Position: PG
NBA Comparison: Devin Harris
Elfrid Payton is probably the top prospect coming from a mid-major in the 2014 NBA draft. The Louisiana-Lafayette junior point guard averaged 19.2 ppg and 6.0 rpg and 5.9 assists per game this season, leading the Raging Cajuns to a 23-12 record this season (11-7 in Sun Belt Conference Play). Payton’s play helped the team win the Sun Belt Conference tournament and advance to March Madness, where they fell to Creighton at the big dance.
Strengths
Payton is an elite defender at the point guard position, with his extremely long reach (6’7″ wingspan) and excellent quickness and agility. He averaged 2.4 steals per game over the last two seasons. He has good height (6’4″) and is extremely athletic, making him a very good rebounder for a point guard.
Payton is quick and can use that and his agility to drive the lane when he has the ball, either to open up a shot for himself, or to draw in defenders before quickly dishing to an open teammate. His cross-over is extremely good and helps him to fool defenders before making those drives. Payton is extremely athletic and can finish above the rim. He has good vision and can find teammates averaging nearly six assists per night.
Weaknesses
Payton is not a very good shooter for a point guard. He is a good inside shooter, but has no range. He struggles at the free throw line, and has nothing from three point range. While he can drive to his left or to his right he needs to work on his finish with his left hand, as he often puts it in with his right hand even when driving to his left.
Payton also has a tendency to be a little bit risky, as he averaged over three turnovers per game this season. Sometimes he needs to take more patience with a play instead of seeming to want to rush the play at all times.
Outlook
Payton should be picked somewhere in the 10-15 range. Depending on where he ends up he could be a backup point guard to start his career, but should be able to develop into a solid starter down the road. His defensive game will make him a favorite of coaches.
Click here to see all of LWOS’ Draft Coverage.
Thank you for reading. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Main Photo:
