How Walter Clayton’s Football Background Affects His Fit in Memphis
It was a muggy night on Aug. 24, 2018 in Lake Wales, Florida. The Highlanders were playing host to the Treasure Coast Titans and entered the football game as heavy underdogs. Late in the second quarter while holding an eight-point lead, the Titans tried a deep pass. That was when the sophomore safety broke on the football.
While Lake Wales is not a power house, coach TaVaris Johnson said it’s uncommon for underclassmen to be in the starting lineup. Yet here was a kid at just 15 years old, starting at safety. And in a big moment, he ran across the field and came down with a one-handed interception. Not only that, but he then runs it back 78 yards for a touchdown. The ensuing 2-point conversion tied the game.
While Lake Wales would go on to lose, that play cemented the young safety as a star, and the college offers soon followed. The University of Florida, Georgia and Notre Dame were among the colleges who offered him a scholarship to play football.
So who is this superstar safety, and where is he playing now? Well, it’s Walter Clayton Jr. and he is playing for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
Will He Fit In?
When Clayton was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Grizzlies earlier this month, many Florida fans were rejoicing. Clayton had been buried behind a group of young guards, all of whom needed minutes to develop with the Jazz, and now had the opportunity to spread his wings with the Grizzlies.
Clayton was averaging 6.8 points and 3.2 assists in just 18 minutes per game with Utah. Keyonte George and Isiah Collier held down the guard spots, with third-overall pick Ace Bailey also factoring in.
The problem here is that the Grizzlies have a similar logjam when it comes to guard minutes. Their backcourt contains Ja Morant, Ty Jerome, Cedric Coward, Cam Spencer and Scotty Pippen Jr., not to mention guys like Jaylen Wells and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
So what is going to get Clayton on the court? The answer is 3-point shooting, and defense, according to Connor Dunning, the executive producer of the Gabe Kuhn Show on 929espn in Memphis.
While there has never been any questions about Clayton’s ability to knock down the outside shot, defense was part of the reason he returned to college for his championship season. After testing the NBA draft water, scouts told him to focus on improving on that side of the ball. And in the NCAA Tournament, it was clear to see the steps he took to improve. Despite never being a true lock-down defender, Clayton showed he had the instincts to make up for his lack of size on defense.
Football Background
Just a few weeks after talking about the similarities of some of the games brightest in football and basketball, there is now another player who makes the list. Clayton was a highly recruited football player out of high school, and in another life may have taken that route.
His play on the football field can translate to the basketball court. Defending off the ball in basketball is similar to playing safety in football. It requires an ability to see everything happening on the field, and adjust quickly.
“His ability to read the floor,” Johnson said. “It’s just the X-Factor in him.”
When Clayton was with the Gators, it was evident to all that he could read the floor with the best in the nation. Passes and lobs he would throw with anticipation made that clear. Yet a lot of those instincts came from playing defense, and they can be used that way again.
Once a player gets to Memphis, there is an expectation that they play hard on defense. There is a reason one of the best Grizzlies teams of all-time was known as “Grit and Grind.”
Grit and Grind
“If he wants to endear himself to the city, I do think that playing hard defense or just showing effort on that side of the ball is going to be a big deal,” Dunning said.
The city of Memphis is full of blue-collar workers, who go into work every day to get whatever the job is done. They expect the same thing from their basketball team. Many of the fans grew up on Marc Gasol, a former defensive player of the year, Mike Conley, who was a strong defensive guard that relied on heart more than skill, and Tony Allen, who many regard as one of the best wing defenders. While no one is expecting Clayton to turn into Allen, it goes a long way with the fans to give the effort on defense.
Dunning also talked about how the fans will turn on players who do not give that effort on defense. The fans mourned the moving on from Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane and now Jaren Jackson Jr., as all three epitomized this strong defensive mindset. The new young crop of Grizzlies will need to take up the same mindset to win the fans onto their sides.
It’s not just the fans who will be looking for Clayton to step up on the defensive side of the ball. If he wants to separate himself in that crowded guard room, he will need to prove he can keep up on both sides of the ball.
The Future
So what will the future hold for Clayton? There is an expectation that Morant will be moved before the start of next season, opening more minutes. As Clayton ramps back up from a knee contusion that is holding him out, the hope for Gator fans is that he will be able to prove himself worthy of being a building block for the Grizzlies.
One more obstacle that could stand in Clayton’s way is the draft. With Memphis on pace for a lottery pick, there is the potential another strong guard replaces Morant. The latest Bleacher Report mock draft has the Grizzlies drafting Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. If this were to be the case, it would be another guard that Clayton would have to compete with for minutes.
If there is one thing about Clayton, he is not afraid to compete. Be it fighting for a starting spot on the football team as a sophomore or grinding the Gators to a national championship, Clayton has proven he will fight to get what he deserves.
Category: Basketball, College Basketball, Football, Former Gators, Gators Men's Basketball, NBA
