Walter Clayton Jr. hoping to follow Jalen Brunson's path to NBA success

New York Post

5 hours ago

Walter Clayton Jr. isn't walking into uncharted territory ahead of the NBA draft, and he's thankful for it.
As a smaller guard at 6-foot-2 who stayed in the college game for four years before declaring for the draft at age 22, his path follows those such as Jalen Brunson and Payton Pritchard.
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Clayton is not projected to be a top 10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday after a big college career where he developed into a combo guard at Iona under Rick Pitino and transferred to Florida, where he won a national championship in his senior season.
Brunson went 33rd in 2018 and Pritchard was 26th overall in 2020.
Considering Brunson led the Knicks to their first Eastern Conference finals in 25 years and Pritchard won a championship with Boston in 2024, Clayton feels confident about his NBA future.
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'I think all those guys have kind of paved the way. I think the guys that come before us just pave the pathway for older guys as you would say,' Clayton told the media on Tuesday.
Also as an older player among the 18 and 19-year-olds in his draft class, which the league tends to favor, Clayton is unsure if that will be a factor in his selection.
'I think there is a lot to prove for multiple guys throughout the whole year. I think the film tells a lot. So, maybe, maybe not,' he said.
Walter Clayton Jr. dribbles the ball during a drill at the NBA Draft Combine on May 13, 2025.
NBAE via Getty Images
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In reflecting on his journey that put him in this position, Clayton credited much of his development to Pitino, who he said moved him from a 'pass-first' player to a 'score-first' star guard.
In his freshman year at Iona, Clayton averaged 7.3 points over 16 minutes per game.
He nearly doubled his playing time in his sophomore season and averaged 16.8 points across 31 starts in 32 games.
Walter Clayton Jr., who is a smaller-sized guard, is hoping to have the same NBA success Jalen Brunson has enjoyed.
NBAE via Getty Images
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Clayton said his favorite Pitino stories he will 'keep close to the chest,' yet he wasn't shy in admitting he had several trips to the treadmill as punishment under the coach.
'Definitely a lot of trips. Definitely a lot of trips,' he said. 'Two minutes at 10 miles per hour. That was my time on the treadmill. I remember that.'
Clayton also held down the Gaels backcourt with former St. John's guard Daniss Jenkins in the 2022-23 season.
That year Iona had a 17-3 record and won the MAAC Conference Championship.