And if Payne is going to be a star for the Otago Nuggets this season, then he will have to be a pain at the defensive end.
That is where the quietly-spoken 25-year-old Californian seems to do his best work. It is the sort of work which does not always get you noticed. Coaches notice, though. And that is why Nuggets player-coach Mark Dickel signed Payne. The 1.98m small forward is first and foremost an excellent defender and that fits perfectly with Dickel's basketball philosophy.
Dickel's plan is to craft a team which can attack in the transition and that will work only if the Nuggets can assert some defensive pressure.
Payne shapes as the main plank in the construction of said defence. He takes quiet pride in the work he does off the ball. In his senior year at Santa Clara University, he was named defensive player of the year in the West Coast Conference. He is hard man to shake.
He has previously described himself as an athlete who never takes a play off, as a tough rebounder who attacks the basket, and as someone who is not afraid to do the dirty work.
''I've definitely changed over the years,'' Payne said when asked about his earlier self assessment.
''In college I was seen more as a defender. My coach really wanted me to elevate that and show that [part of my game] and I won defensive player of the year.
''He put me in the best situation where I could get that award. But I've improved a lot during the last three years with my ball handling and my [basketball] IQ.''
Payne is hoping he can contribute more on offence and he took the ball to the hoop strongly in the Nuggets' pre-season game against the Canterbury Rams at the Edgar Centre last weekend. But any production at that end really is just a bonus.
''Any job I go to, that's what I want to do. I want to be that guy who stops the other guy. In college I was a shut-down defender. Whoever was the hardest, that's who I had to mark no matter whether they were a point guard, shooting guard, small forward or big man.
''I'd just try and guard them and try and contain them. That is what I'll try and do here.
''If I set the tone defensively, hopefully other guys will follow.''
Dickel is renowned for his defence and also his passing game. But now the point guard also has the coaching reins, he has been able to hand-pick the guys who best suit the style he wants the team to play.
Fellow import Warren Carter is more of a rangy player for a centre. The Nuggets are clearly hoping to exploit his athleticism and pace.
The American duo are contrasting players to their predecessors. Antoine Tisby was a powerhouse under the hoop whereas Carter is more mobile and will look to get up and down the court quickly. Akeem Wright was a good defender but the Nuggets looked to him more for his offensive production. He had the ball in his hands an awful lot and could be deadly from the outside.
''I don't know a lot about the league,'' Payne said.
''But I know there are some good imports that play in this league and it is going to be more competitive than in Australia.
''What my agent has told me is that it is a tough league and that I've got to work hard and play my heart out.''
Since graduating, Payne has had a stint for Tasmania in the South East Australian Basketball League and was drafted in the NBA's D-League by the Los Angeles D-Fenders but did not see any court time.
