Getting lost in the shuffle of the overblown Ace Bailey situation, the Utah Jazz made it clear how high they were on Walter Clayton Jr. when they traded up to get him with the No. 18 pick. Clayton was so impressive as Florida's go-to guy in their NCAA title run that his efforts have drawn comparisons to NBA All-time great Stephen Curry.
To get a better idea of what Jazz fans should expect from the rookie coming into next season, we reached out to our FanSided sister site, Hail Mary Hail, and spoke with their site expert, Benjamin Henderson, to get a better idea of what Clayton's true ceiling could be.
Florida Gators expert explains why he sees Stephen Curry in Walter Clayton Jr.
The J-Notes: What is your NBA comp for Walter Clayton Jr, and why specifically that player?
Benjamin Henderson: So I know it is swinging for the fences to say this, but he kept getting compared to Stephen Curry during the season. Clayton is a fearless shooter, and some of the shots he started making were straight out of a Curry highlight montage.
And when you factor in that Curry is also 6'2" and wasn't viewed as a high-upside prospect when he first enrolled in college, there is a pathway for Clayton to drive opposing fanbases nuts with shots that would be viewed as unrealistic if they were made in NBA 2K.
TJN: What's something Jazz fans should know about Clayton that not many do?
BH: He is a genuinely humble guy who isn't going to pout if he isn't the focal point. His hometown of Lake Wales, FL, is nestled in about 90 minutes from Tampa and an hour from Orlando, and it is not the type of town where an ego is going to fly.
So it's with that in mind that in the national title game, when he was being hounded in the first half, he was content to morph into a distributor role and bide his time.
TJN: What makes Clayton different from other Florida basketball players in the past?
BH: Well, Florida went through a bit of a dark age during the Mike White Era. The three players Florida had drafted this year were more players than Florida had combined since 2014. If we backtrack to Florida's back-to-back national title teams in 2006 and 2007, the stars of those squads were the big men (Al Horford, Joakim Noah, and Corey Brewer). While Taurean Green shot 38% from three for that 2007 squad, he didn't have to be the sole focal point of the offense.
So what has made Clayton unique in Gator lore is that he is one of the few times a guard has put the team on his back and brought everyone else along with him.
TJN: In what way did Florida use Clayton that Utah should definitely take note of?
BH: One of the reasons why Florida was able to win the national title was the roster was constructed like an NBA team. Florida had a depth of big men to work with that few teams could match. So, beyond his primary strength as a catch-and-shoot guy, he was able to also develop as a pick-and-roll guy, where teams had to go over the screen to have any shot at slowing him down.
I would add that while his defense wasn't his primary strength, he still averaged over a steal a game, and Florida as a whole won the national title because it shored up its defense.
TJN: From what you and Florida fans saw from Clayton during the NCAA tournament, what do you think it was about him that made Utah want to trade up for him when they could have waited three spots later?
BH: Clayton was trying to force his hand to the Miami Heat at No. 20, given how his pre-draft process went, so I don't think he would have been available at No. 21.So, I think Utah makes that trade because Clayton has the ceiling to morph into the next Stephen Curry. He also has the floor to be the next Jimmer Fredette, so I'm not saying he is a lock to be a star.
One thing I argued for Clayton throughout the pre-draft process was the fact that as the lights got brighter, he never shrank. When you think about how many teams in the NBA have guys who do great in the regular season but disappear once the playoffs begin, I think Clayton has the mettle and mental makeup to thrive in high-pressure situations where some of these one-and-done guys (see Duke) might not have.
We thank Benjamin for his time and you can get more analysis on the Jazz rookie over at Hail Mary Hail.