How Walter Clayton Jr. Can Change the Narrative on Undersized Upperclassmen Guards

After leading his Florida Gators to a National Championship, senior Walter Clayton Jr. cemented himself as a name to be called in the 2025 NBA Draft. At the NBA combine, the 22-year-old combo guard measured in at 6-foot-2 barefoot, a daunting height for teams to bite on given the recent history of older and undersized guards.

Since the 2020 draft, there have been eight upperclassmen guards 6-foot-3 or shorter to be drafted from the 15th to the 40th pick – Clayton's draft range.

• Malachi Flynn
• Saben Lee
• Payton Pritchard
• Jared Butler
• Marcus Sasser
• Tyler Kolek

Assuming Clayton is next in line, that group isn't exactly one he should be fond of joining. Flynn's spent more time in the G League than on an NBA roster the past two seasons, Butler is on his fourth team in four seasons, Lee is overseas, Kolek and Carter averaged less than four points per game, and Sasser lost his spot in Detroit's rotation when it mattered most.

To succeed as an undersized older guard entering the NBA, the elite offensive abilities at the college level have to translate smoothly, and eventually become a major positive on that side of the floor. For most of these guys, it hasn't quite panned out yet.

The saving grace of the bunch is Pritchard, the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Luckily for Clayton, he shares plenty of similarities with Pritchard, and following in his steps might be Clayton's path to success.

Like the Celtic guard, Clayton has the shifty navigation ability and high release to get shots up at difficult angles, and make them at a high rate. He shot 66.7 percent on pull-up threes the past season, making it nearly impossible to go under against him in screen scenarios. He's fine playing away from the ball as well, as he shot 40.1 percent on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, proving to be a threat from deep at all times.

Clayton also attempted the most 3-pointers (303) among the aforementioned group of 6, with Pritchard sliding in at second with 250. Of the group members to shoot at least 150 3-pointers, only Clayton and Pritchard maintained 60 percent true shooting.

The former Gator was also automatic from the free throw line, with seasons at 87.5, 87.7 and 95.3 percent – often a major green light in terms of shooting translation. His 144 free throws attempted in his senior season were closer to Pritchard's 140 than any other mark in the group.

Clayton undoubtedly has the athleticism to get to the rim and punch down finishes when necessary, but he didn't do so at an extremely high rate. Clayton attempted 135 shots at the rim (0-2 ft, excluding dunks), the lowest among the pack. Despite low volume, he did convert at a high rate relative to the size of 65.2 percent. That shouldn't be a worry, however, as once again, Pritchard was the closest to him with 153.

Throughout his career, Pritchard showcased ability to scale down his role when needed, despite being the guy at Oregon his senior year – similar to Clayton. He played 19.2 minutes per game in his rookie season, before regressing to 14.3 and 13.4 the following seasons as the Celtics improved. In 2024-2025, his minutes increased to 28.4 per game. Throughout it all, he managed to keep a steady 14.5-18.1 points per 36 minutes, with a 57.8-63.3 true shooting percentage in all but one year.

Clayton's NBA career path could follow similar steps to this – a proven contributor to winning steps in and provides efficient buckets at whatever volume is asked of him. After seeing Pritchard beat the narrative against their archetype, Clayton has all the tools to become next in line.