2015 NBA Draft: Cameron Payne (PG; So; Murray State)

3. Cameron Payne OKC
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Point Guard / 6-2 / Murray State / Sophomore 20.2 ppg, 6.0 apg, 3.7 rpg

Payne will be competing with Delon Wright, Tyus Jones and Jerian Grant to be the third point guard off the board after Emmanuel Mudiay and D'Angelo Russell. He's a late bloomer who after such a tremendous season, entered the draft. He may lack the same exposure as most of the other prospects in the first round as he entered the 2015 draft picture very late and it's likely that less scouts and only a handful of GMs actually caught his games, live. Regardless, he became one of the hottest names by season's end having led Murray State to a perfect 16-0 regular season Conference Record. They lost in their Conference Tournament and therefore played in the NIT where Payne was able to display his excellent open court speed, scoring, point guard skills and decision making. He's a kid that had a late growth spurt and now appears in the neighborhood of 6-3 to 6-4 and with good length. He's projected as a possible late lottery to early 20s pick.
 
Twitter: @Joinmy_Campaign
Comparison: George Hill
Global Ranking: 14th
Salary: $1,684,600*


Why You Might Know Him 

By Taylor C. Snow

Though he never had the opportunity to hit the national spotlight in the NCAA Tournament, Cameron Payne’s top-notch scoring and passing abilities have drawn significant attention. While he never made it to the Big Dance, he did make his mark during other tournaments, leading Murray State to a 2013-14 CIT title and the NIT quarterfinals this past season.

Scouting Report

By @Marc_DAmico

Cameron Payne may be coming from a small school in Murray State, but he’s one of the top prospects in this year’s NBA Draft. He is an NBA-ready prospect at the point guard position who was aided by a heavy pick-and-roll system with the Racers. He’s a complete offensive point guard. He’s got a beautiful left-handed stroke that comes with a quick release. He can nail every type of jumper in the book off of every type of action in the book. He’s a great finisher, and with both hands. He’s also very adept at setting up teammates for open looks. He has great touch and accuracy on his passes and is creative with his dishes. He sees the floor well off of pick-and-rolls and I like his patience and instincts. I would hate to have to guard this guy because he can do so many different things. Payne favors shooting off of the dribble to his right. He can stop on a dime to lose defenders and get his shot off. He sometimes forces the issue, indicating questionable decision-making, but I instead attribute that to him being “the guy” at Murray State. Payne is not nearly as polished at the defensive end of the court but the ability is there. He just needs to use it. He gets caught ball-watching and doesn’t always trust the system and his teammates. He displays opportunistic hands and he chases pretty well off of pick-and-rolls, although Murray State switched very regularly in such situations. He’s got very good lateral quickness and shadows players well in isolation situations. If I was coaching Payne, I’d try to hammer home one point: finish! Finish every possession like it’s the final play of Game 7. Never give up. Challenge every shot, even if you don’t have a chance at blocking it. If he learns to do these things, he’ll immediately become a much better defender. And when you couple that with his impressive offensive repertoire, you’re looking at a prospect with a ton of potential.

Biography

By Taylor C. Snow

Payne was born on August 8, 1994 in Bartlett, Tenn. to Tony and Leshawn Payne. As a senior at Lausanne Collegiate School (Memphis, Tenn.) he won the 2A Private School championship and was named Tennessee’s Mr. Basketball, with averages of 20 points and 10 assists per game. After Murray State point guard Isaiah Canaan was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 2013 NBA Draft, Payne stepped in as the Racers’ new point guard and made an immediate impact as a freshman. During his collegiate debut on Nov. 8, 2013, he notched 21 points, five rebounds and four assists against Valparaiso; it was the best collegiate debut the program had seen in 13 years. He played a key role that season, as the Racers sped to a CIT title. Payne was named the tournament’s MVP, having averaged 20.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists per contest over a five-game stretch. This past season, the Racers went 29-6, including a 25-game winning streak from Nov. 30 to March 7. Payne led them to the NIT quarterfinals and finished the season 14th in the nation in points (20.2) and 15th in assists (6.0) per game, while posting a minuscule 12.4 turnover percentage. Payne declared for the NBA Draft on April 4. He has a chance to be the first Murray State player to be selected in the first round.