The Boston Celtics are projected to pick out Florida senior level guard Walter Clayton Jr. with the twenty eighth general choose within the upcoming NBA Draft, in accordance with ESPN’s newest mock draft. Earlier than the beginning of the NCAA match, Clayton wasn’t in ESPN’s mock draft as even a second spherical choose.
Clayton considerably boosted his draft inventory throughout Florida’s NCAA match run, delivering 30 and 34 factors in environment friendly performances in the course of the Elite Eight and Remaining 4 earlier than serving to the Gators win the nationwide championship. The 6-foot-4 guard earned first-team All-America honors for his shotmaking potential and scoring prowess in clutch conditions.
NBA groups have expressed issues about Clayton’s protection, passing talents, and basketball IQ, noting that he could be mistake-prone and lacks distinctive bodily instruments along with his common measurement, size, and power. Scouts have drawn comparisons between Clayton’s match efficiency and Shabazz Napier’s run a decade in the past, although they think about Clayton taller and extra explosive however “extra mercurial.”
As a senior, Clayton continued to display his taking pictures potential, connecting on 38.6 % of his 303 three-point makes an attempt whereas taking pictures 87.5 % from the free throw line. His true taking pictures proportion for the season was 61.1 %.
