Payne Out To Prove Doubters Wrong Once Again

Oklahoma City introduced top draft pick Cameron Payne to the media and others gathered at the Devon Energy Center rotunda Saturday morning. The Murray State product and No. 14 overall pick was a bit more subdued than he was on Thursday night, and (unfortunately) never spoke in the third person.

Not much has been made of the fact Payne spent just two seasons at Murray State before jumping to the NBA. But before he became a household name in college basketball circles, he was a little-known recruit from Memphis whose biggest offer came from the Racers.

“Being overlooked, it just puts a chip on my shoulder and it makes me go hard every day,” Payne said. “That's how I've made it to this point.”

It also has led to a lot of humility and understanding of how far he has come to make it to this point in his career. Those characteristics were very clear to Presti and the rest of the Thunder staff in the weeks leading up to the draft.

“He didn't get a scholarship offer to his hometown Memphis,” Presti noted. “Once he started to have this type of success at Murray State, he had opportunities to transfer and he stayed consistent with the people who had given him the opportunity. I think that spoke to who he is.

“Just being around him during this process has been helpful because a lot of things come back and he's talked a lot about the people who helped him get to this point. There is a gratitude there that is really special.”

“Process” has been a buzzword in the Thunder organization since the franchise came to Oklahoma City. Donovan wasn't shy about using that term to describe Payne's journey through high school and college, a journey that's a bit different from other NBA players.

“I think it's interesting listening to him speak—not to the point of having bitterness or being upset or mad about that—but just the fact that he knew it was going to be a process that he was going to have to go through to grow and develop,” Donovan said. “It was really encouraging to hear that. I think our organization is about going through a process and continuing to build and I think he fits all those things.”

But even though Payne has had to push himself and work extremely hard to make it to the NBA, that doesn't mean he doesn't have a lot of talent. After all, it says a lot a sophomore from Murray State would be able to garner All-American honorable mention accolades.

Donovan and Presti both raved about his ability to play point guard, especially his court vision and other intangibles that Presti said are very difficult to teach.

“He's incredibly cerebral, he understands space on the floor, he understands angles, he understands time,” Presti said. “All of these things that are really hard to teach, he has these things kind of intuitively.”

Humble beginnings gave Payne the necessary drive to become a star at a mid-major school and become a lottery pick after just two years of college ball. And those humble beginnings help him understand there's still a lot of work to be done.

“The main thing is I'm going to come in and work hard and do the best I can and trust the process,” Payne said. “If it's me not playing, that's what I have to do; I have to live with it. I'm just looking forward to learning and I'm just ready to get started.”

Thunder Notebook

-Despite reports to the contrary, Payne said he did not receive an explicit promise from the Thunder on getting drafted if he was available at No. 14.

-Donovan said he hadn't seen Payne play much when he was at Murray State, but he had a front row seat the past two years to watch the Thunder's other draft pick, Kentucky's Dakari Johnson.

“Dakari, obviously in college, was one of the better low-post scorers,” Donovan said. “He understand how to get position, he's a big, strong body. I got a chance to see him quite a bit with him being at Kentucky. I think he's someone that still being young has the chance to grow and get better. I think a frontcourt player of his ability offensively as he continues to grow on the defensive end, has a very bright future.”

-Donovan said he is progressing well on putting his staff together and said he hopes to have it completed in the “very near future.” Former Florida assistant and former Alabama coach Anthony Grant has been rumored to be coming with Donovan to OKC, and that was all but confirmed on Saturday as Grant was in attendance at the press conference.

-Payne said he would see a doctor on Monday about his broken finger and then he and the organization would determine the best course of action for him as it pertains to Summer League.