2014 NBA Redraft: A tale of two big men and two missed picks

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#24 Pick: Elfrid Payton (Originally: Shabazz Napier)

One of the funnier desperation plays in recent draft history came when the Heat traded the 26th pick the 55th pick, a 2019 second-round pick and cash to move up two spots to draft the guy LeBron James had been tweeting about during March Madness, Shabazz Napier. James left a few short weeks after the draft anyway.

In fairness, Napier has been a solid bench guard so far and no draft pick was likely to keep James in Miami. So we will go with the guard who is left on the board with the most potential upside, Elfrid Payton.

Payton has been a double-figure scorer in every season since his rookie campaign and has been more efficient than most would have projected. The biggest knock on Payton is his lack of a three-point shot, but on a Miami roster that still had Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh shooting, opportunities likely would have been hard to come by.

Payton is a smart passer who would benefit from a dose of Heat culture to develop his game. The potential is there for a young Rajon Rondo-type player, a level of potential he was never able to realize in lost seasons in Orlando.

With the twenty-fifth pick in the 2014 NBA Redraft, the Houston Rockets select…

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