2020 NBA Draft: Keep an Eye on Payton Pritchard’s Draft Stock in March

As he concludes a marvelous college career, Oregon guard Payton Pritchard could use the boost of a great NCAA Tournament run to help his NBA draft stock.

As a Payton Pritchard guy, his heroics down the stretch of his senior year have me a bit worried. I tend to think that most players/teams only to have so much magic in them over the course of a season.  After four overtime wins for he and his Oregon Ducks over the past six weeks, I am hopeful that they haven’t burned theirs up, as Pritchard has all the makings of a player that could be one the biggest stories in this year’s NCAA tournament.

His performance over the course of the next month could greatly help his NBA draft stock, as he continues to prove himself as one of the mentally toughest college players in recent memory.

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SEASON STATS: 20.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 46 percent from the floor, 40.5 percent from three.

Currently projected as a late second-round pick by ESPN, Pritchard will fall in that classic category of a player with all the skills and intangibles to succeed at the NBA level, but with physical question marks. He’ll certainly project as a below-average athlete for an NBA guard. There can be no greater boost to these prospects than a history of winning, which he already has, and a great last impression, which would come during next month’s tournament.

Look no further than the performances of guys like Donte DiVincenzo and Carsen Edwards over the past couple of seasons for quick proof of what a great March can do to one’s pro stock.

Standing at 6’2″ and a solid 190 pounds, Pritchard is a crafty scoring point guard. He’s a leader that runs his team, can shoot from deep, and saves his best work for the biggest moments. He’s shown improvement with his feel for finishing around the basket, which has raised his shooting efficiency this season.

We perhaps saw the best and worst of him as a prospect in the first overtime win against Arizona, where he matched up against likely top-10 pick Nico Mannion. Pritchard struggled all game to get in the paint against the much quicker Mannion, and as a result had a terrible night shooting from the field (6-of-21).

Despite this, his amazing competitive streak was on full display and ended up the deciding factor in the game. He guarded Mannion solidly for much of the night, keeping a stance and still managing to contest every lane attempt when he did get beat off the dribble.

As he’s proven on many occasions, Pritchard wanted it the most in clutch time. At the end of regulation, he first hit a very difficult turnaround jumper over Mannion to tie the game. Most amazingly, on the following possession, he blocked the game-winning jump shot attempt of 6’11 Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji, another projected Wildcat first-round pick in this June’s NBA draft. In overtime, Pritchard capped off the night with a steal as time expired.

If that wasn’t enough, in a rematch a few weeks later, he poured 38 points on the same Wildcats in their house for yet another overtime win. The guy flat-out competes and appears to just have the extra flair for the dramatic.

All that being said, there are questions to be answered as far as his pro chances, starting with a lack of foot speed. He is able to use his handle, patience and craftiness to make space at the collegiate level, but it remains to be seen how well that will translate without a better burst. Additionally, he’s more of a sound and solid playmaker than a dynamic one.

His ability to get his shot off quickly will be something to keep an eye on, as he at times displays a beautifully quick release under duress. This could prove to be a great equalizer against the longer athletes of the pro level.

Defensively, he’s shown himself to be crafty and disruptive, shown by his 1.6 steals per game, good for sixth in the conference. He does struggle to contain elite quickness at times, but most importantly exhibits solid pride in defending on a consistent basis.

Ultimately, as is the case with the majority of players selected in the NBA draft, his chances at success will come down to a combination of stylistic fit/opportunity and his personal development. I envision a best-case scenario where he is a solid career backup.

Plenty of lesser college players with similar question marks have made themselves solid, long-term NBA contributors. This makes determining odds of success a bit of a crapshoot, but I’ve learned to never count out the guy with the biggest heart.