2016 NBA Draft: Breaking Down NBA Future of Oregon State’s Gary Payton II

Gary Payton II has an NBA body and put up some of the most impressive all-around numbers in college basketball last season.

After leading Oregon State in points, rebounds, assists and steals, the 23-year-old (6’3″, 190 pounds; 6’6.5″ wingspan) is physically ready to be a pro.

But for Payton to make it in the league, he’s going to have to embrace a much different role than that of his legendary father.

“You almost look at him as a defensive specialist/athlete, and you’re hoping that he can improve his ball-handling and other stuff he struggles with,” an NBA scout told Bleacher Report.

Said another scout: “He tops out at a backup, but he should play in the league.”

Payton played point guard for the Beavers but lacks what NBA teams want in a point guard from a skills perspective (shooting, elite ball-handling and creativity). Still, his body and physical tools will earn him a look.

Relevant stats

While Payton isn’t known as a creative playmaker, his assist numbers did go up in college—from a 22.7 percent assist rate as a junior to 32.7 percent as a senior, per KenPom.com. Part of that had to do with being surrounded by better talent in 2014-15, but Payton deserves some credit for his improvement as well.

His steals and rebounding numbers are what really jump off the page. He ranked second in steals per game as a junior and fourth this past season. He was also eighth in the nation among guards in rebounding and was the only player in the country 6’3″ or shorter to finish in the top 200 in rebounds per game.

Strengths

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Payton’s rebounding is most likely to translate to the NBA. He has a good nose for the ball and strong hands. Similar to a good receiver in football, he’s solid in the air and has a knack for grabbing the ball at his highest point.

“He rebounds for the guard position at an insanely high level,” the second scout said.

Below are the five best rebounding guards in the NBA this past season (minimum 20 minutes per game). I looked up the best defensive rebounding rate they had in college and compared that to Payton’s senior season. Only Evan Turner and Will Barton were better, and both have several inches on Payton.

Offensively, Payton was at his best operating in the paint. He finished 63.5 percent of his shots at the rim, per Hoop-Math.com, and he’s a slithery driver with a good …

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