Why Cameron Payne Can Become the Latest Oklahoma City Thunder Draft Steal

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a knack for coming up with draft-day steals, and 2015 first-round pick Cameron Payne should be the latest one. With his combination of court vision, shooting ability and high basketball IQ, Payne has the potential to be one of the gems of this year's rookie class after being picked with the No. 14 overall selection. 

Payne's road to the NBA wasn't paved with the same critical acclaim as some of his elite point guard peers. He wasn't the top recruit coming out of high school like No. 7 overall pick Emmanuel Mudiay was in 2014. He didn't perform under the bright lights of the NCAA tournament like No. 2 overall selection D'Angelo Russell did at Ohio State. Instead, Payne worked his way from an AAU reserve to a productive career at little-known Murray State en route to becoming an NBA lottery selection. 

It was that kind of dedication and work ethic that piqued Presti's interest, as the GM told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman:

"

He has no assumptions. He doesn't feel entitled to anything. He's had to work for everything he's had. But most importantly, if you speak to people who have known him throughout his life, he's the same guy. So the fact that he has enjoyed a rapid ascent hasn't changed him at all. And we think that's an incredibly attractive piece to this player.

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Another positive about Payne that should please the Thunder is his balance. As a sophomore, he was 11th in the nation in scoring with an average of 20.2 points per game, but he still managed to finish with the sixth-highest assist percentage at 40 percent.

He's confident in his abilities but still remains humble, which should make him an easy fit inside the Thunder locker room. That blend was on display during his post-draft Q&A, per Royce Young of Daily Thunder:

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I'm blessed to be part of an organization that's definitely going to be in the playoffs this coming year. Me being a part of that, it'll be great. I feel you guys picked a great player to be a part of that and if I can be a big time impact on a playoff team. I'm looking forward to being one of the guys to have an impact on that team.

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The Thunder's depth chart already has Russell Westbrook and D.J. Augustin at point guard, but Payne can still come in and make an immediate impact. His offensive acumen will provide a scoring boost for a second unit in desperate need of it while his skills as a passer make him a perfect fit alongside Westbrook in a two-point-guard set. 

Like Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard and Elfrid Payton before him, Payne has made the leap from mid-major star to NBA lottery pick. He'll also have to overcome a fractured ring finger that will sideline him for at least three weeks and force him to miss playing in the summer league, per Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. However, if we've learned anything from Payne's rise to the pros, it's that he'll work hard to overcome the odds. 

David Crenshaw/Associated Press

Since trading James Harden to the Houston Rockets in 2012, the Thunder have been searching for a second guard who can both provide a spark off the bench and complement Westbrook in the starting rotation. 

Reggie Jackson averaged 13 points per game during his final season-and-a-half in OKC, but his 28.8 percent shooting from three didn't instill fear in opposing defenses. Dion Waiters, who inherited the sixth-man role from Jackson in January after arriving in a trade, struggled from the outside, as well, converting just 31.7 percent from behind the arc in 47 games with the Thunder. 

Augustin, the biggest obstacle in Payne's quest for meaningful minutes, shot a respectable 35.4 percent from downtown and contributed 7.3 points per game for Oklahoma City, but his porous defense makes him a liability. In 28 games, Augustin allowed 110 points per 100 possessions, the second-worst of any player on the Thunder's active roster, per Basketball-Reference.com.

While it's a stretch to call Payne the second coming of Harden, the Thunder haven't had a reserve guard with this much do-it-all potential since The Beard left town. 

In fact, when asked to compare himself to another NBA pro, Payne chose another solid all-around point guard, per Young: "It would definitely be Mike Conley. I feel my game is pretty much similar. We're both left-handed and we both like to shoot the floater a lot and we both like to run our teams. That would be that guy."

As seen in the clip below, Payne possesses a jumper so wet he should be shooting it in swim trunks. He shot 35.9 percent from three during his college career, including 37.7 percent this past season. He also led the nation with 712 points produced, which is an estimate of the offense a single player provides for his team.

For as stacked as the Thunder's roster is, the offensive production on the second unit leaves much to be desired. Waiters averaged 12.7 points per game, but inconsistency has plagued the Syracuse product for his entire career. Anthony Morrow can be dangerous when he gets hot, but his game is solely dependent on his outside jumper. Additionally, Steven Adams and Mitch McGary are still developing as interior scoring options and can't be relied upon to provide offense regardless. 

Meanwhile, Payne feels the Thunder's desire to play at a faster pace under new coach Billy Donovan makes him an excellent fit, per Young: "They're really into the run and gun, and I've been doing that all my life, so I think I can definitely come in and be an impact player right away."

While Payne's offensive contributions are welcomed, it's his basketball mind and ability to see the court that impress the Thunder brass the most.

"As a player, he's incredibly cerebral. He understands space on the floor, he understands angles and he understands time," Presti said, per NBA.com's Nick Gallo. "All of those things that are really hard to teach; he has them intuitively.”

Donovan concurs: "The biggest thing with him is that he has great vision. He understands the vision and understands how to play."

Payne's ability to get others involved will raise the ceiling of an already-impressive Thunder offense. He can run the floor and allow Westbrook to play off the ball. This will give Oklahoma City two offensive creators in the backcourt, something they didn't have often under former coach Scott Brooks, who routinely opted for perimeter defenders like Thabo Sefolosha and Andre Roberson alongside Westbrook. 

Payne also has the potential to contribute in on the defensive end. At 6'2" with a 6'7" wingspan, he has the physical tools to be a pesky defender. Of course, to handle the NBA grind, Payne realizes he'll have to add more meat to that 180-pound frame, per Gallo. 

"Getting into the weight room and getting a little bit bigger will help my game out a lot. I'll be able to attack more and be more explosive. I have a wide wingspan, but getting into the weight room will help a lot."

If Payne is going to become a complete offensive player, he'll need more than his trusty jumper.

An increase in bulk will allow him to be more aggressive and draw fouls by attacking the basket, something he didn't do much of in college. According to CBS Sports, Payne's 169 free-throw attempts were tied for 129th in the nation. To put that in better perspective, Lipscomb forward Malcolm Smith played in 10 fewer contests than Payne and logged just 25.6 minutes per game (compared to Payne's 32.2) but still got to the line 22 more times than the Thunder rookie.   

Fortunately, the flaws in Payne's game are correctable, and the rookie has shown the drive to get better throughout his career. With Augustin heading for free agency next summer—and possibly Westbrook the summer thereafter—Payne's time in Oklahoma City will come sooner rather than later. 

Layne Murdoch/Getty Images

Presti's eye for talent on draft night is nothing short of impressive. Besides hitting on top-four picks in Kevin Durant, Westbrook and Harden, Presti has also made household names out of players taken deeper in the first round such as Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson. 

This year, Presti found a potential gem who embodies the image of Oklahoma City: a productive, blue-collar worker who was overshadowed by the grandiose of the larger markets. 

With his ability to contribute in many different facets and the drive to be the next big mid-major star, next season could be an excellent rookie campaign for Cam Payne. 

All college and NBA stats are courtesy of Sports-Reference.com and Basketball-Reference.com, respectively, unless otherwise noted.