Re-Drafting the 2014 NBA Draft

PG. Louisiana-Lafayette. Elfrid Payton. 16. player. 24. <p><strong>Original pick: Jusuf Nurkic (traded to Denver)</strong></p> <p>In 2016, it is pretty difficult to be a successful NBA point guard if you can’t shoot. That is doubly true if you aren’t an elite defender.</p> <p>Meet Elfrid Payton.</p> <p>As discussed previously with Marcus Smart, it <em>can</em> be done if a player brings an elite trait to the table, and in the case of Smart, that comes with his size, strength and defensive acumen. For Payton, the former Louisiana-Lafayette standout is a very nice player in some ways, but that upper echelon trait just isn’t here.</p> <p>In two seasons, Payton has posted a career true shooting percentage of 46.7% and that is accompanied by 43/31/57 shooting splits. For a perimeter player, that is ghastly, and though Payton is a very nice passer (6.5 assists per game) with the capability of playing above-average defense, he looks more like a career back-up than anything else.</p> <p>There is still room for Payton to grow as a shooter, and it may be unfair to shovel dirt on his upside after two seasons. Still, you have to really talk yourself into banking on him as a future “average” starting point guard, and fringe starter/high-end backup types belong in the middle of the first round.</p>