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Orlando Magic Starting Five Breakdown: Elfrid Payton

By Luke Duffy

Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) points from the court against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 10, 2015; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) points from the court against the Toronto Raptors during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic (4, left) and guard Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic (5, right) watch from the bench during the first half against the World Team at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 13, 2015; New York, NY, USA; U.S. Team guard Elfrid Payton of the Orlando Magic (4, left) and guard Victor Oladipo of the Orlando Magic (5, right) watch from the bench during the first half against the World Team at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

About Last Year

Payton had about as good a rookie season as could be expected on a rebuilding team. He became a starter relatively early on, and in doing so he learned how to play very much in the public eye. There were turnovers and there were bad shot selections, but there were also many positives as well. Already his basketball IQ appears to be quite high, as he led all rookies in assists (6.5 per game).

If he was playing with a higher caliber of teammate on a nightly basis, that number would surely have risen as well. He gets to the basket well for a young player as well. So much so that he had a 43.4% field goal percentage when driving to the hoop, a solid number. He also attempted 9.4 drives per game, good for 17th in the entire league among all qualifying players.

Where this will become even more important going forward is how he kicks the ball out to the likes of Mario Hezonja to hit more open looks, as the defense collapses in on him. On top of that, Payton finished eighth among all players in total assists made last year (533), an encouraging statistic. If he’s like this now he’ll only improve as both he and his teammates get better. Put simply there was much to like about his play last year.

Next: Payton Can Only Get Better, Much Better In Fact

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