Detroit Pistons 2020 NBA Draft profile: Oregon’s Payton Pritchard

Weaknesses

To start with, Pritchard does not possess any elite athletic abilities. His main struggle with his athletic ability is his substandard level of guarding and being guarded by athletic and quicker players.

In his first matchup against Arizona, despite coming in the clutch at the end of the game, he struggled to produce against Arizona projected lottery pick, Nico Mannion, for the majority of the game shooting 6-of-21 from the field during the game. In that game, Mannion would score 20 points while shooting 9-of-17.

Building on his lack of athletic ability, he is not a dynamic playmaker who can make his own space most of the time.

Almost all first-round draft picks and some second-round draft picks carry the ability to make their own space, he does not seem to be on the same level as many of the other NBA prospects.

Pritchard would also sometimes turn into an inconsistent shooter, trying to force his way back into successful shooting.

He also does not have the biggest size, ending the season at six-foot-two and weighing 190 pounds. In turn, the made it difficult for him to score in the paint and make his presence felt in other ways.

My biggest issue with Pritchard is that I don’t see there being much upside with his game and his progression of a basketball player. He is a senior, while most NBA prospects are either freshmen or sophomores. Other younger players are raw and tend to have more potential than older players.