Friday Bolts – 6.26.15
Chad Ford: “Payne is a super-talented point guard who played a bit under the radar at Murray State. The Thunder needed a backup for point guard Russell Westbrook. Not only will Payne be able to handle that duty, but he is also great insurance in case Westbrook eventually bolts. The Thunder get great value here at No. 14.”
From FiveThirtyEight: “Kentucky center Dakari Johnson, for example, ranks 30th according to the scouts (using the same version of Ford’s top 100 that we used in the model, from late May) and has barely any chance of becoming a superstar (2 percent), but he ranks sixth overall in the model because he has a 37 percent probability of turning into a starting-caliber player and only a 19 percent chance of becoming an outright bust.”
Tim Bontemps of the NY Post: “Payne had been linked to the Thunder for weeks leading up to the draft, and on an unpredictable night this was one of the few things that went at least somewhat according to plan.”
On Jeremy Lamb’s tenure with the Thunder, and why it never worked out.
CBSSports.com gives OKC a C+ for Cam Payne.
Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports on Cameron Payne: “Payne felt confident he should leave for the NBA after his stellar sophomore season, but admitted he was initially nervous. The success of NBA point guards from mid-major schools like Damian Lillard (Weber State), Curry (Davidson) and Elfrid Payton (Louisiana-Lafayette) eventually inspired Payne he could succeed. Lillard and Payton ‘set the foundation for mid-major players, also Steph Curry and [Indiana Pacers guard] George Hill,’ Payne said. ‘Now NBA teams are giving mid-major players a chance. I’m definitely inspired by Damian Lillard. He came from a mid-major like myself and took the NBA by storm. I feel like I can do the same thing.'”
Reaction on ESPN.com on the pick.
Thunder get a Thumbs Up for last night’s draft.
Chris Mannix of SI.com gives OKC a B: “Oklahoma City is stocked at virtually every position, so this pick was a luxury. The one area of weakness for the Thunder is backup point guard, a position Payne (hopefully) fills. Mid-major guards have had a lot of success in recent years—think Damian Lillard and Elfrid Payton—and Payne has the potential to join that list. Payne isn’t especially athletic, so he will have to develop into a consistent three-point shooter to grab that backup point guard spot. Kind of liked Kelly Oubre here, but again, OKC is deep almost everywhere.”
GQ says Russ is the “most stylish man alive.”
Berry Tramel on Murray State: “Ten Murray State players have played in the NBA or ABA. Only Isaiah Canaan, who finished the 2014-15 season with the 76ers, is a current player. But the great Joe Fulks, the league scoring champion in 1947 and 1948, was from Murray State. So was Stew Johnson, who averaged 16.3 points a game over nine ABA seasons, 1967-76. Popeye Jones, you remember; he played 11 NBA seasons, 1993-04, and is remembered mostly for his rebounding and his big ears. The only other NBA player from Murray State since 2000 is James Singleton, who played 243 games from 2006-12. The bottom line, Murray State is a winning program with high expectations. That’s never a bad thing.”
