NBA DRAFT SCOUTING REPORT
POSITION: SF | FROM: UCLA (Long Beach, CA) | HT: 6-8 | WT: 203 |
BORN: NA | YEAR: Fr. | WING: 7-0 1/2 | REACH: NA |
Draft Notes
Payton Watson is a long, wiry high-upside athlete with all the tools to make it in the League. He’s a high flyer, a great dunker and a lethal transition player.
Watson had a tough freshman season at UCLA, seeing limited playing time on a veteran-laden team but NBA teams will be looking at his athletic upside and what he could become a few years down the line.
Watson really get after it defensively, showing the ability to guard 1-4 and switch everything on the perimeter. His value in the NBA could come from his ability to guard some of the most talented wings in the league.
He’s a great transition player who runs the court like a deer and can really get up and finish above the rim.
In the half court Watson can handle the ball up top and make plays off the dribble. He’s mostly a straight line driver who uses his quickness, length and long strides to blow by defenders and get to the rim. He’s got the makings of a good jump shot but is pretty far away from being a knock down shooter at this point.
Comparisons
- Derrick Jones Jr.
Draft Projection
late first to mid second round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft
Videos
2022 Small Forwards
- Ousmane Dieng – 6-10 – France
- Adrian Griffin Jr. – 6-6 – Duke
- Tari Eason – 6-8 – LSU
- Kendall Brown – 6-6 – Baylor
- Wendell Moore Jr. – 6-6 – Duke
- Caleb Houstan – 6-8 – Michigan (Canada)
- Josh Minott – 6-8 – Memphis
- Dereon Seabron – 6-7 – NC State
- Justin Lewis – 6-7 – Marquette
- Jared Rhoden – 6-6 – Seton Hall
- Aminu Mohammed – 6-5 – Georgetown
- Gabe Brown – 6-8 – Michigan State
- Payton Watson – 6-9 – UCLA
- Jordan Hall – 6-8 – St. Joe’s
- Julian Champagnie – 6-8 – St. Johns
- Jabari Walker – 6-8 – Colorado
- Vince Williams Jr. – 6-6 – VCU
- Johnny Juzang – 6-7 – UCLA
- Jermaine Samuels – 6-7 – Villanova
- Hyunjung Lee – 6-7 – Davidson (South Korea)
- Gui Santos – 6-8 – Brazil
- Luke Travers – 6-7 – Australia
- Fanbo Zeng – 6-9 – G League Ignite (China)
- Landers Nolley II – 6-7 – Memphis
- Keyontae Johnson – 6-5 – Florida