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Walter Clayton Jr. Channels Inner-Gator in Breakout Performance

On Monday night, Walter Payton Jr. reminded everyone why he was such a special player with the Florida Gators.
Kyle Lander|
Walter Clayton Jr. reminded everyone why he was a national champion with the Florida Gators.
Walter Clayton Jr. reminded everyone why he was a national champion with the Florida Gators. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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A recent change of scenery appears to have helped Walter Clayton Jr. on the court, as the former Florida Gators guard returned to his old ways on Monday night in his third game with the Dallas Mavericks. 

Clayton Jr. logged a team-high +22 plus/minus in 17 minutes in the win over the Miami Heat. He scored 15 points on 6-for-7 shooting and 2-for-2 from three. He also had four assists, four rebounds, and one block. 

The former Gator displayed all the talents he showed playing in Gainesville, scoring in nearly every way possible. He showed a feathery touch on his floaters, connected on midrange jumpers, and extended his range on catch-and-shoot 3-pointers. 

His clutch gene resurfaced in the fourth quarter, too. The Mavericks coach started him in the final quarter, handing him the first eight minutes. In that span, he scored seven points, blocked one shot, grabbed one rebound, and dished out one assist. It also coincided with a 21-10 run that gave his team a 104-97 advantage with five minutes remaining. 

Clayton Jr.'s shot-making in the final period gave the fans flashbacks to his time with the Gators. He gave his team the lead with back-to-back crafty layups, including an old-fashioned three-point play just like he did against the Auburn Tigers in the Final Four. 

He extended his range earlier in the game, draining both triples he attempted. Clayton Jr.'s two threes came off the ball, shooting as soon as he caught the pass. 

None of this surprises Florida fans, though.

He had arguably the greatest scoring season in his final dance with the Gators. Clayton Jr. set a school record for most points in a single season, scoring 713 points in a national championship-winning campaign. 

He also finished 10th in program history in 3-pointers made, making 210 3-point field goals. That includes 117 triples in the 2024-25 season, the second most in a single season by a Gator. 

Another aspect of his game fans will love is his playmaking. Clayton Jr. had four assists on Tuesday. He is now up to nine in his last two outings with his new team. 

Clayton Jr. recorded 256 assists in the Orange and Blue, the most by a Florida transfer. The former Gator's best playmaking season came in year two with the program. He logged 163 assists as a senior, which is 70 more than his debut season. 

Florida and Dallas fans will be hoping Clayton Jr. continues to play with this level of aggression and determination on the hardwood. If he does, he could carve out a significant bench role to save his NBA career after being selected in the first round by the Utah Jazz, traded to Memphis, and cut before landing with the Mavericks.

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Kyle Lander
KYLE LANDER

Kyle Lander is a contributing writer at Florida Gators on SI. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in journalism. On top of his writing, Kyle is a photographer for the site as well. Outside of his work with Florida Gators on SI, he likes to hike, travel, watch movies and hang out with family and friends.

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