Thunderous Intentions
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OKC Thunder Draft: Breaking Down Team’s Top Choices

By David Ramil

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Mar 7, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Murray State Racers guard Cameron Payne (1) brings the ball up court against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels during the second half in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference basketball tournament at Nashville Memorial Auditorium. Eastern Kentucky won 86-83. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Cameron Payne

Reviewer: J.M. Van Sant (@RTFans_)

Strengths: Much speculation has arisen regarding Cameron Payne, the leader of the 13th ranked offense in the NCAA last season at small Murray State. Payne demonstrated slick handles last season as a sophomore, keeping the ball low to the ground and on a string. He’s an incredibly unselfish player, possessing the highest assist percentage among players in the draft (39.5%) and averaging 7.1 assists per forty minutes. He’s excellent in transition and displayed a Kevin Love-esque ability to start the break. Payne has superb body control, showing an elite ability when it comes to starting-and-stopping in traffic. He is also fantastic in the pick-and-roll, a major part of the Thunder’s offense (at least under former coach Scott Brooks). Payne also has an above-average shooting stroke, knocking down 2.5 threes per game in his sophomore season while demonstrating his ability to get hot and hit from deep, well beyond the NBA three-point line.

Weaknesses: Payne has long arms and big hands, and this translated to supreme success when reaching for steals, but as a defender he’s simply average. There were many times during his tenure at Murray State that he just looked disinterested in playing defense and had a lost look on his face. His 6’2″, 183-pound frame also serves as a detriment, especially in today’s NBA. Big-bodied point guards will look to back down Payne in the post and manhandle his slight body into the paint.

How Does He Fit? As far as what purpose Payne would serve on the Thunder, he would provide a fantastic backup role, around 12-18 minutes per game and giving OKC playmaking ability with a second unit consisting of Anthony Morrow and Dion Waiters (depending on Donovan’s starting lineup). He can also play a solid role with Steven Adams and Enes Kanter while Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant get rest on the bench, running pick-and-rolls with the bigs and either dropping a dime into the paint for an easy layup or punishing defenders that go under the screen by hitting jumpers.

Cameron Payne would be an excellent fit for most teams, but even moreso on the Oklahoma City Thunder where he’ll have ample time to develop under the league’s premier point guard in Westbrook and the best scorer in the Association in Durant. If Payne can add more muscle to his slight frame and improve on defense, look for the Murray State product to give the title contenders serious help.

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