2025 Rookie Observation (24): Is the ability of the University of Florida s new MOP subject to be overestimated?

Walter Clayton Jr.

Team: University of Florida (NCAA)

Date of birth: March 2003

Birthplace: Sibring, Florida, USA

Grade: Senior

Position: Double-Energy Guard

Bar-foot Height: 188cm

Wandspan: 193cm

Stand-touch height: 247.7cm

Weight: 90.3kg

Template: Weaker version of Jalen Brunson, Cameron Payne)

Expected market: Middle and late first round to second round

National high school students rankings (2021): On3 rankings (no stars), 247 rankings (no stars), ESPN rankings (no stars), Rivals rankings (no stars)

Honors: 2025 NCAA Final Four MOP, 2025 All-American First Team, 2025 SEC League One Team, 2025 SEC Championship MVP, 2024 SEC League Two Team, 2023 MAAC The best player in the league, the first team of the MAAC League in 2023 MAAC League

Note 1: Clayton is a double-education player in basketball and football. He has received offers from Notre Dame, the University of Georgia and the University of Florida as quarterbacks and wide receivers, but he finally chose to join the Ainer University basketball team at that time. Note 2: Both parents played basketball during high school, and his father was also a double-education player in basketball and football during high school. Note 3: The favorite NBA player is Bradley Bill (Bradley). Beal

Note 4: The three people who want to have dinner the most: Eric Spoelstra, Kobe Bryant and American rapper Rick Ross

This season's data:

39 appearances, 32.5 minutes per game, 18.3 points, 3.7 rebounds (0.4 frontcourt rebounds), 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks, 2.4 turnovers and 1.9 fouls, 44.8% from the field (6.0/13.4), 38.6% from three-pointers (3.0/7.8), and 87.5% from free throws (3.2/3.7).

Advantages:

Clayton is a dual-energy guard with good agility, flexibility, speed and explosive power. He is a very outstanding scorer on the offensive end, his shooting ability is quite good, he has high stability in shooting and receiving the ball after dribbling, he can almost complete shots in various positions, his shooting range is far beyond the NBA three-point line, and he is definitely capable of becoming a top pitcher. Not only that, Clayton can also use breakthroughs to score, his finishing ability at the basket is also good, and he is also good at using pick-and-roll to create threats. In addition, Clayton has good ball movement ability and can play the No. 1 and No. 2 in the NCAA arena.

Clayton has a fast moving speed on the defensive end, and his athletic ability is also good, and he is able to keep up with other players. Clayton's reaction speed is fast enough, and his ability to predict the ball is also good, and he is capable of completing a certain number of steals.

Clayton has pretty good passing ability, and he can also take on some responsibility for organizing offense. Clayton has solid dribbling ability and a good vision. He can find outside pitchers in open positions and inside players who want to reach the position. In the NCAA Finals this season, Clayton also changed his playing style and showed excellent passing ability when he felt poorly.

Disadvantage:

Clayton's biggest problem is that his figure is severely limited, his wingspan is very average, and his static talent is a relatively poor level among all physical test players. Due to his obvious body disadvantages, this also leads to his poor ability to solve the problem on the offensive end. Once he encounters his opponent's high-intensity defense like in the NCAA Finals, Clayton will face a huge test and his performance will also experience obvious ups and downs.

Clayton doesn't seem to be bad in defense, but he has obvious problems with his defensive focus, and his disadvantages in physical talent are also quite obvious. He is easily targeted by his opponent on the defensive end, which is also something that makes him very worried. Experience over the past few seasons has taught us that Clayton's organizational skills may not be as good as a point guard. He can take on this task to a certain extent, but it is more or less difficult to expect him to grow into an excellent No. 1 player in the future. As a No. 1 player, Clayton's organizational ability is somewhat mediocre; as a No. 2 player, Clayton's height disadvantage is too obvious, and his position on the court will also seem a bit embarrassing.

Expected Quotes:

Clayton's draft market continues to improve with his outstanding performance during the NCAA National Championships this season. Judging from the current situation, some media have even believed that he has a chance to be selected in the second half of the first round. However, considering his shortcomings in physical talent and age issues, some media believe that he may only be selected in the second round, and his draft market may also be overrated.. But overall, as the season deepens, Clayton's draft market is also steadily improving.

Personal prediction:

Personal belief that Clayton's draft market may be somewhat overrated. Clayton's disadvantage in talent is very obvious, and the key issue is that Clayton is not a pure No. 1 player. He has the ability to pass and organize, but no one knows whether he can prove that he has the ability to be a No. 1 player in the NBA arena. On the other hand, even if Clayton is able to play the role of No. 1 on the offensive end, his shortcomings on the defensive end are obvious. In other words, Clayton's shortcomings are too obvious. Coupled with his large-scale ball-holding style, such characteristics are not a good thing for Clayton. After all, there will not be many NBA teams that will give Clayton so many opportunities.

Of course, this type of player cannot be said to be unable to play. After all, Brunson, who is also limited in size and is only a second-round pick, is a good example of his performance now. But from the overall perspective, it is indeed a bit difficult for players of this figure and type to play.

Target teams:

Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and Houston Rockets

The above teams actually need to improve the backcourt competitiveness of the second team to a certain extent, and some of them also need the arrival of players like Clayton who can score and organize to enhance the overall competitiveness of the second team. Especially the Clippers and the Bucks, they also have a very high demand for players like Clayton. However, Clayton's current draft market is indeed a bit confusing, so it is hard to say which team will choose him in which pick.