Hoops Habit
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: Gary Payton II 2016-17 season grades

By Josh Cornelissen

Apr 2, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Payton II (0) guards Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 2, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Gary Payton II (0) guards Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 5
Next
Mar 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II (1) drives against Virginia Commonwealth Rams forward Mo Alie-Cox (12) in the first half during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II (1) drives against Virginia Commonwealth Rams forward Mo Alie-Cox (12) in the first half during the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /

Path to the Bucks

Gary Payton II was one of the best guard defenders in all of college basketball over his sophomore and junior years, winning PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016. Not simply a one-trick pony, Payton was a strong offensive player as well, earning All PAC-12 honors in both 2015 and 2016 as well, leading the Oregon State Beavers to a record far above their talent level.

After Payton went undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, he caught on with the Houston Rockets organization, playing in Summer League and the preseason before finding his way onto the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as a Houston affiliate player. There his professional career truly begun, and he put up 14.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists over 48 contests.

More from Milwaukee Bucks

Payton’s moment in the spotlight came on Dec. 3, 2016, when he dropped 51 points on the Los Angeles D-Fenders, shooting 20-of-29 from the field and pulling in 11 rebounds — both impressive marks for a guard. His defense also stood out in the up-and-down D-League, as Payton used his strength and size to harry opposing guards.

Milwaukee saw enough from his tape in the D-League to bring him in late in the season. The team signed Terrence Jones earlier in the season, thinking that the former first round pick just needed the right environment to get back on track. But Jones never won the trust of head coach Jason Kidd, and he was waived by Milwaukee on Apr. 1.

That left room to add another player, and with point guard Malcolm Brogdon missing time the Bucks looked for another guard to fill in minutes as the end of the year approached. They signed Payton to what was originally reported as a 10-day contract, and later was confirmed to be a two-year deal, with a small partial guarantee on the second year.

Home/Milwaukee Bucks