The Florida Gators would not have won the 2025 NCAA Tournament without Walter Clayton Jr. He took over down the stretch whenever the Gators needed it last season, hitting countless big shots. He parlayed his way into a first-round NBA Draft pick — No. 18 overall by the Utah Jazz — on the back of those performances, then picked up right where he left off in his NBA debut.
Clayton didn’t start for the Jazz in their 129-108 win against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, but he wasted no time making an impact once he got on the court. He entered the game at the 4:02 mark of the first quarter. Over the next 56 seconds, he scored his first NBA points, snared his first NBA steal and snagged his first NBA assist. His hot start capped a 16-2 run for Utah and forced a Los Angeles timeout.
Clayton finished the game with 10 points (4/8 FG, 1/3 3P), 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in 18 minutes of action. Both he and Ace Bailey — the No. 5 overall pick — should earn bigger roles for the Jazz as the season goes along. For the time being, they’ll continue plying their trade and developing their game as reserves. Utah’s next game comes at the Sacramento Kings on Friday night (10:00 p.m. E.T.).
