Todd Golden compares Walter Clayton to Boston Celtics guard

Florida Gators basketball coach Todd Golden was clear about one thing during an interview on the Run It Back on FanDuel TV show with Michelle Beadle, Chandler Parsons and Lou Williams: He’s confident UF guard Walter Clayton can be a very good NBA player. And he compared Clayton’s game to that of a current Boston Celtics guard.

Said Golden:

You know what? The jump that he’s made over the last 12 months, I don’t think has really been appreciated. Obviously, he was kind of the darling of the NCAA Tournament and kind of put us on his back at times and finished games for us — and deserved to win the most outstanding player. I think he is just a remarkable basketball player. A guy that can just shot make with the best of them. You know, I look at a guy like Payton Pritchard right now in the NBA and the success that he’s having.

And obviously I’m biased, but I think Walt’s a little more dynamic. He’s incredible with the basketball. A guy that was primarily thought of as kind of a two guard his whole career. We played him at point last season. He did a great job running our team. He got himself in exceptional shape. Was great assist-to-turnover ratio wise. He’s guarding harder now than he ever did. And you’re just getting a pro—a guy that’s mature, a great guy, no trouble off the court, one of the best guys I’ve ever had to coach.

He was great. Never pushed back on anything we talked about. Was a great extension of our coaching staff on the floor. And you know, I see some of these younger guys getting mocked in the top 10 and they’re all great players, but Walter was better than these guys. Like he was just better. And I understand he’s 22 or 23 and some of these guys are 19 and there’s a little bit of the age difference, but like Lou Will knows, man, when you get a bucket there, it’s incredibly valuable. And this is a guy that I think can score with the best of them.”

Walter Clayton was a first-team All-American

Clayton, a senior from Lake Wales, Fla., was the star player on Florida’s 36-4 national championship team. He averaged 18.3 points, 4.2 assists and 3.7 assists a game, hit one big shot after the other during the NCAA Tournament and was a consensus first-team All-American in his final season for the Gators. Most current NBA mock drafts have him going in the first round.

Parsons, a former Florida Gators and NBA standout, had this to say in response to Golden’s comments:

“It’s less sexy than a 19-year-old where maybe the sky is the limit and there’s more potential there. But if I’m a GM, don’t I want a guy right now that can come and help my team win and can shoot the ball like he can shoot and do all these different things you’re talking about? I love the Payton Pritchard comp. Is there anyone else outside of that. You saw the (Damian Lillard) and (Stephen Curry comparisons) during the tournament. I’m like, slow down a little bit but obviously he can shoot it.”

Golden replied:

“I think he’s somewhere in between. I mean, Dame and Steph, they’re max players. And then you have a Payton Pritchard, who is playing fantastic basketball on a great deal for the Celtics. And you asked, what teams (should draft Clayton) and one of the teams that always wins will figure it out and take him. That’s like a Boston or an OKC. I know the Magic really like him and they got two picks in the first round. But you know, I think one of those teams that really values a winning player, a guy that has a really good attitude and has won at the highest level in college. I think somebody will figure it out in a big way and hopefully will select him close to that lottery.”