OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti knows what he is doing, as he showed Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Presti used his two 2015 NBA Draft picks to select Cameron Payne, a rare gem of a guard, and Dakari Johnson, a monstrous center with role player potential. These two guys fit the exact roles OKC was looking to fill in this draft, therefore making this a very successful time for the Thunder and their faithful.
Payne is a crafty, high-workload guard who despite being from a smaller-market school lacks no confidence. At Murray State, the 6'2" now combo guard was an explosive scorer and playmaker, but to start off in the NBA, the way Payne is able to get buckets will just be a bonus.
What Oklahoma City will be looking for from the 20-year old is his exquisite court-vision and distribution. While averaging 20.3 points per game last season, Payne also racked up 6.0 assists per game as a sophomore. The Thunder already have Russell Westbrook and dependable second-tier point man D.J. Augustin on hand, and so Payne will be another piece on the bench to try and add depth and talent to OKC. His 32% usage rate in college was second of all NCAA top prospects, and his 39.5% assist percentage was tops. This combination of scoring and passing is what makes Payne so intriguing.
If Westbrook decides to leave Oklahoma City as a free agent in 2017, Payne could potentially step in and start a new era of basketball from the point guard slot for the Thunder. His all-around ability is superb and exciting to watch, as he doesn't only have a prolific and eye-popping offensive game, but his efficiency, athletic giftedness, and defensive competence makes for an effective player who is never a liability.
As a shooter in 2014-2015, Payne put up a field goal conversion rate of 44.9%, a very effective rate for a score-first NCAA point guard. He shot 37.7% from beyond the arc, a very respectable clip that can improve as Cam develops under new Thunder coach Billy Donovan, who just signed this offseason after a long-tenure coaching NCAA basketball at Florida.
On defense, Payne holds a skinny frame, however his big hands and long wingspan aid him greatly in staying in front of and containing opposing guards. Physically, he is about 6'2", and his skinniness of 183 pounds put together with that height makes his physiology alot like that of a Jeff Teague or a Brandon Jennings. His elite agility and ability to change speeds is also a very useful and positive aspect to add to the complex game that already is Payne's. He comes up with lots of steals on D.
The only thing you can chide Payne about is the way he handles physicality. Due to his small and undeveloped, un-"bulked-up" frame, Cam is unable to finish well in the paint, and on defense is often easy to power through on drives to the basket. Over the offseason, the biggest thing to progress in will be the weight room, where he should put on at least a good 15 pounds of muscle. That will help his overall game on both ends of the court, and make him a more appealing start alongside Westbrook in OKC, where defense and athleticism have always been a priority.
So what exact role will Payne play for coach Donovan for OKC, a city and team trying to recover from a disappointing injury-plagued '14-'15 campaign?
Well, right now Oklahoma City has a pretty well-defined starting core at the guard slots, with Russell Westbrook at point and Dion Waiters at the 2 guard slot. Obviously, Payne could morph into a long-term backup for Russ, but he may have a shot in a season or two at overtaking Dion Waiters for the other guard slot as a combo guard. Reggie Jackson nearly did that, but due to his defensive shortcomings, was inconsistently given the role and instead was traded away. Payne has the potential to become a stalwart both on the attack and on D, so with that said, Billy Donovan could speed up the ushering in of a new young class of talent in Oklahoma City and play Payne as a combo guard alongside Westbrook.
In that role, passing would come first for Payne, as the scoring and possession for the Thunder is commanded by superstars Russ and KD. The scoring talent Payne has would just come as an extra benefit on the court. On defense, Westbrook would most likely guard the opposing shooting guard to due his superior size at the point, and Payne would guard the opposing point man at the top of the perimiter key.
But honestly, in no way will Payne start out his career as a starter. Not on this team, at least. His role will be to provide depth for OKC at the point guard slot in case of another injury to Westbrook or Waiters, and also to provide scoring, facilitation, and energy for the reserve members of the Thunder roster. In an ideal world, Cam would man the point on a second-shift team for the Thunder, with Anthony Morrow at the other guard slot, Perry Jones III at the 3, Mitch McGary at the 4, and Steven Adams at center.
Morrow and D.J. Augustin bring the most competition for Payne, as well as defensive specialist Andre Roberson, who started at the 2 last season. Morrow's experience and microwave shooting ability make him a tempting choice, while Augustin's starting-caliber distribution is his selling point. Roberson is an alternative to former starter Thabo Sefolosha, a player that Scott Brooks loved to use in opposition to star two-guards like Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. So where does Payne fit in? What is his argument for a large role in the deep OKC backcourt?
His all-around ability. Unlike the rest of those players, Payne specialized as a scorer in college, but he also had a balance of being one of the nation's best passers. His craftiness in creating opportunities for himself and his teammates keeps defenses on their heels, and enables other players like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka, and Enes Kanter to get good looks at the basket and to command less double-teams. If defense and physicality is a concern, which would be understandable, Payne could commit his offseasons and workout days to improve his strength and bulkiness, which would fix all his obvious basketball-related flaws.
This pick is a best available, best roll-filling, and best star potential pick Oklahoma City could have made. A+ on this one. Payne could be considered the top true point guard in this whole draft class.
Now for Dakari Johnson. Johnson had sky-high hopes when he committed to Kentucky, and he did not quite meet his expectations. While one can take into consideration the minutes Dakari had to share with other extremely-talented teammates (five of which got drafted before him Thursday night) as a Kentucky Wildcat, no numbers or performances Johnson put up really pop out at you, and his fitness and energy levels are very concerning.
Johnson does have significant upside, so why not start with what he can bring to the table. He is a gifted low-post scorer whose seven-foot size and weight room strength help him battle inside the paint on both ends of the floor. In only 16.3 minutes per game playing for coach John Calipari, Johnson averaged 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He converted over 50% over his field goal attempts, and though most of those attempts were high percentage looks, it shows that Dakari has a polished fundamental game for a big man, and he also knows his role down low.
The shots he did miss were tough ones that he got himself into, by not creating enough separation from his defender or by losing control of his handle of the ball. Because he wasn't a focal point of the Wildcats offense, it is unknown if Johnson will be able to compete offensively against NBA-caliber defense, or whether an expansion of the latter-explained patterns will be seen.
Dakari is a hard-worker, crashing the offensive glass to get numerous boards despite his lack of athelticisim. That shortcoming for his physically is due to his NBA Draft prospect-high 14.9% body fat. So while Johnson gives his best effort, that effort can only last so long. With the limited looks, playing time, and stamina tests for Johnson in NCAA action, it is hard to predict whether Dakari will be able to play a lot of NBA minutes at his size. Sure, he has been cutting down on his intake and has been working to slim down. And this offseason, he will get in better shape. But with his lack of tools and versatility, he is not a suitable starting center.
Which is what makes him a perfect backup to whoever Sam Presti and Billy Donovan choose to be the franchise center in OKC. Enes Kanter or Steven Adams.
Johnson was a great effort and energy player coming off the Kentucky bench, so why can't he do the same thing on the NBA level. His size will be a plus coming off the bench, providing a force in the paint for rim protection on D, while also making him a viable offensive safety route.
Dakari's lack of agility and explosiveness could possibly prevent him from becoming an elite rim protector in the association and also make it hard for him to keep up with quicker big men. With that being said, he could work perfectly if he become a high-energy, low-minutes role player for the Thunder. As a hard-working reserve with great work-ethic and drive, he will be very endearing to any coach, and his personality can only strengthen team morale and chemistry.
Overall, Johnson's size, strength, and finishing ability are why he is so intriguing as a prospect, and are responsible for being an NBA draftee. If he can overcome his lack of athleticism, he could form a decent big man with a solid skill set and big, strong other physical tools. This pick gets a B grade, because there is no harm in drafting a third center, especially with Enes Kanter potentially on the outs, and the fact that so much potential can be seen in Dakari through his high school and college playing days is enough to keep hopes up for a very useful role player to develop. The fact that Johnson was a top recruit by Kentucky can only mean so much.
Oklahoma City through this draft did what they needed to. They picked up Payne, a superb prospect who will surely help provide depth in the backcourt and provide some skill on the second and third lines, and Johnson is a player who they didn't need, but can add depth to the big man spot in case of another injury crisis. He could become the new Shaq, who knows?
Final draft grade - Oklahoma City Thunder: A-