1. Injury Risk
Cameron showed signs of promise as a rookie, but his second season got off to a rocky start because of injury. Last summer, he had surgery to repair a fracture in the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. By the time training camp started, he supposedly made a full recovery and was cleared to practice. However, Payne suffered an acute fracture to the same metatarsal just a few days into camp. (Acute fractures are more serious than non-acute fractures. They happen quickly and are usually more painful.) The second fracture caused him to miss the first 37 games this season. Not only did the injury put a huge road block in Payne's rhythm (he's shooting just 33.1% from the field since returning), but it's a serious warning sign for the future. Foot injuries can derail careers, so it's worrisome that Payne is already dealing with them at such a young age. It's also less common to see foot issues in smaller players as opposed to big men. Bill Walton, Yao Ming, Jermaine O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas all had their careers cut short or dramatically marginalized by foot injuries. For a fanbase whose most recent point guard of value slowly deteriorated into an injury-plagued afterthought, Payne's medical chart is unnerving. But good basketball does run in his genes.[USE ARROWS ABOVE TO CONTINUE READING]
2. One Family, 3 PGs
Cameron's entire family is all about basketball. His older brother Tony Jr., also a point guard, enjoyed a strong career at DII Lane College near the family's home in Memphis, Tennessee. Tony Jr. continues to serve as baby brother's mentor. Cam's father (Tony Sr.) was a point guard in his day too. He was a star in high school, but his 5'7 frame prevented him from making it to the college level. (I guess not every short guy with ballhandling and shooting skills can turn into Spud Webb or Muggsy Bogues.) Cameron's father also spent several years as a basketball coach, instructing his son on the court from age five onward. Tony Sr. even coached Cam on his AAU team and brought him off the bench. So much for playing favorites.“Me being a father, coaching Cam, it’s tough on a kid when your father is an AAU coach because others always feel you are entitled. So I was tougher on him and it made him a better player.” - Tony Payne Sr.Cam's mom Leshawn isn't a basketball player, but she's probably one of the game's biggest fans. While her younger son was playing in high school, Leshawn led the parents and school kids to a cheering award. For real.
“In high school, when they went to the state, I was the lead parent and we won the cheer section of the tournament. It was an actual award.” - Leshawn PayneWhen Cameron arrived at Murray State, Leshawn brought that crazy fandom with her. She had her own reserved seat in the student section for every game. She made custom t-shirts for the games and passed out pom-poms to other fans at the stadium. Now that's a proud parent. Despite the big cheers at Murray State, Cam and his family weren't expecting his name to vault up the NBA draft boards in the spring of 2015...
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3. Zero To Hero
Cam didn't receive much attention at his small private high school. Just a three-star recruit with no top-100 ranking or McDonald's All-American game to gain notoriety. But some good fortune brought him exposure as a freshman at Murray State. His new Bulls teammate Isaiah Canaan had just left Murray to enter the 2013 NBA draft. Zay Jackson was in place as Canaan's successor, but he tore his ACL before the 2013-14 season started. T.J. Sapp of Clemson was on his way to Murray in a transfer but not yet eligible to play.
Just like that, Cameron was thrown into the starting point guard job as a freshman. He excelled, winning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. As a sophomore, he averaged 20.2 points, 6 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals to earn OVC Player of the Year honors. With that nationwide attention, Payne decided to enter the draft. He knew it would be tough to compete with the buzz of Division I players, but Cam believed NBA teams would look past his mid-major status and see the potential of his talents.
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4. Mid-Major Chip
Payne knew that other mid-major players who came before him were already proving they had the chops to play in the NBA. Leading up to the 2015 draft, the Murray State kid praised those who paved a similar path to the pros:
"[Damian] Lillard and [Elfrid] Payton set the foundation for mid-major players, also Steph Curry and George Hill. Now NBA teams are giving mid-major players a chance. I'm definitely inspired by Damian Lillard. He came from a mid-major like myself and took the NBA by storm. I feel like I can do the same thing." - Cameron Payne
The mid-major label, plus the lack of attention coming out of high school, put a huge chip on Payne's shoulder. He said as much two years ago before being drafted by OKC.
"I have a chip on my shoulder. I am never going to reach my limit. I will always have something to prove. To me, that's the best attitude I can have. I'm never going to stop trying to get better. I definitely love my path because it's going to make me a better player in the long run." - Cameron Payne
Cameron likely still has that chip on his shoulder. After all, he's barely been given a chance to showcase his skills in the NBA through 1.5 seasons. Between the foot injury and Russell Westbrook's 35 minutes per game, Payne got lost in the shuffle. That's why, despite how highly the Thunder valued him, their front office decided to let him go in the trade with Chicago.
Cameron will certainly bring that chip with him to the Bulls. He'll have to prove himself in a crowded backcourt. Hoiberg said, following this trade, that the point guard who's playing the best will get the most minutes down the stretch. Where will Cam stack up with Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant, Denzel Valentine and Rondo?
That's the big question.
But it's not the biggest question...
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