Detroit Pistons 2020 NBA Draft profile: Oregon’s Payton Pritchard
By Ari Eizen
Strengths
Hinted at by his accolades and accomplishment in college, Pritchard has been a consistent contributor for the Oregon Ducks upon his arrival is 2016.
However, this year he took it to another level leading the way for the 13th ranked team in the country. He ended his senior year averaging 20.5 points per game on 56.3 percent effective shooting to go along with 4.3 rebounds per game and 5.5 assists per game.
As seen in his shooting percentages, 46.8 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three, Pritchard is a good shooter both from close range as well as from beyond the arch.
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Given his average size at six-foot-two, being a good shooter is paramount for Pritchard to have success in the NBA since that will help open up the court for his teammates. Additionally, Pritchard is a player who has proven he can hold his ground defensively.
The first thing that stood out to me when looking over Pritchard’s game was his ability to save his best work for the biggest moments. Throughout the whole season, the were times where his team was in a close game, and need a big shot.
He would never shy away from the moment and would be ready to take that big shot.
In the first game against the Arizona Wildcats, Pritchard hit a clutch jumper to force overtime and added insult to injury when he dropped a career-high 38 points in their second meeting of the season. It’s almost as if Pritchard wants to keep people on the edge of their seats until the very last second.
On top of that, his leadership ability was also a bright spot in his game. To start off with, he has been the heart and soul of the Ducks team for the past year and was counted on time and time again in crunch time.
For a prospect like Pritchard, having an intangible and unquantifiable strength like his leadership can help him differentiate himself from the rest of the crowd.