By Avi Tyagi
Will run himself into trouble sometimes in the paint. Great shooter, great pull-up shooter.
Will attack to create pull-ups on the left or the right wing (even if he does show a preference for going right). Flies off-screen well and maintains balance to be a capable movement shooter. Great core strength and does a fantastic job keeping his shoulder square and avoiding drifting as much as possible, even on difficult pull-up shots.
The shot can be a little flat at times, so we’re not talking about premium shooting in the mold of a Darius Garland or someone of that stature. The pull-up was the massive development this season. He made more than 3 times as many pull-up 3s this year compared to last season. He’s always had a great touch and strong indicators (shot 43% from 3 as a sophomore, with a 4-year career 87.9% free-throw percentage). This was just the year Clayton finally tied everything together.
Former football player, and you can see that stocky build in terms of how he absorbs hand contact. He’s not a fluid Kyrie, Steph Curry dance factory, but I mean, few are. Shot 65% at the rim at a decent per-game volume on mostly unassisted attempts. A well-spaced Florida with great screen setters was conducive to creating cleaner driving lanes for the senior. Clayton’s not bulky either, but he’s a very north-south athlete and has a decent turn radius, but maybe not the quickest.
Will freelance defensively and doesn’t always play with the motor he’s capable of. He wouldn’t be the first guard you could make that accusation about, especially when they’re a high-volume scorer in college. Decent back-line communicator though, and you can freelance if you’re a great athlete, which he is. Great hands, good instincts plays like someone who understands the scouting report for big matchups. That doesn’t always occur with ball screens, though he just sags way too much in ways that feel driven more by motor than by tactical nous.
This might be a hot take, but I like him as a passer. I don’t want him to be the primary passer for me on a great team, but if we’re being honest, a lot of great teams have their best passers playing positions other than point guard, and he clears the bar for me at point. There are some instances where he’s a little too shot happy, but I do wonder if that approach could naturally change when he’s in the league with better teammates. The finds are good, he will throw lobs, he is capable of keeping the ball moving, and even throwing the signature Kevin Love full-court pass.
Clayton is a great collegiate player and seems likely to find a place in the league for many years. The team probably will not build around him being a star, but he shows the capacity to be a proper perimeter scorer who can at least keep you honest within the arc due to athleticism and decent shooting touch.
