NBA Position: PG

General Information: 20 year old junior, played at Louisiana-Lafayette. From Marrero, Louisiana.

Measurables: 6'4", 185 lbs, 6'8" wingspan, 8'2.5" standing reach

2013-14 Season Statistics: 19.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 3.6 TOPG (35.9 Minutes per contest) – 50.9% FG, 60.9% FT, 25.9% 3FG, 55.1% TSP

Summary: Payton is a capable and unselfish point guard who thrives at attacking the basket. He has good size for the position and is a great athlete, but aside from his slashing ability and point guard skills, his offense is a work in progress. Payton is a poor shooter and will need major work before he'll be an offensive threat at the NBA level.

His scoring ability is limited to attacking the basket, where he utilizes his athleticism advantages. He wasn't as successful when forced to work through contact, but he's crafty at the rim and knows how to use his length. He will need to add serious muscle for this to continue to be successful in the NBA.

For all his promise, there's no denying that Payton is a serious work in progress. His jumpshot was ineffectively bad last season; he shot 24.3% on two-point jumpers and 25.9% from three. Half of his offense (52.1%) came at the basket, and he was very effective (70.3% shooter at the rim), but he was less successful when he faced NBA level length and size. Without an average jumpshot, Payton is going to be an easy cover for NBA teams who will play him like they do Rajon Rondo-stack the paint, play off him and dare him to shoot.

His shooting woes carry over to the free throw stripe, where he shot a poor 60.9%. The hitch in his shot is evident at the line, and he more pushes the ball then shoots it. He was successful at getting to the line, shooting 8.3 a contest (while making 5.6).

The other offensive problem with Payton is turnovers; while he's an unselfish player, he forces a lot of bad passes. In fast breaks, he often makes poor quick decisions rather than letting the offense settle in. This is the area where the other two top college point guards have him beat-his 3.6 turnovers a game and 17.2% turnover rate are significantly higher than Ennis (1.7 and 11.9%) or Smart (2.6 and 14%).

Defensive Breakdown: While he'll need to add weight to his skinny frame, Payton is an NBA ready defender and has great awareness on that end of the court. He's quick, pesky and gives full effort, and with his excellent 6'8 wingspan he's got the size to transition to the NBA game well.

The only major criticism for his defense; he needs to learn to stick closer to shooters when they don't have the ball rather than drift to the action. Other than that, he'll just need to add muscle to be able to guard stronger PGs and most SGs.

Payton is an above-average rebounder for his position, grabbing 6 boards a contest. He's not afraid to muscle in with forwards on the glass, and won't give up his position easily when boxing out in the paint. With added strength, he should be a solid rebounder for a point guard.

Fit with Sacramento: The Kings three biggest needs are shooting, defense and basketball IQ. Payton checks the last two boxes, but that shooting is still a major concern. Given that he's only 20, though, there isn't anything in his game that can't be fixed with the right effort and coaching.

For what it's worth, the Kings do have a well-respected shooting coach in Chris Jent, who worked closely with LeBron James at fixing his shooting mechanics early in his career. If the Kings are comfortable with Payton's flaw and think they can overcome it, he's otherwise a great fit. He's got the pass-first mentality and defensive intensity Michael Malone has always raved about.

As an under-the-radar prospect from a small school, Payton's exposure was limited compared to most of the 1^st Round college prospects. Make sure you watch both of DraftExpress' great videos on Payton-a full scouting breakdown, and a detailed analysis on Payton in his three games against top tier schools (Louisville, Baylor and Creighton).