Orlando Magic: Predicting their opening night starting 5
By Luke Duffy
Point Guard: Elfrid Payton
We begin with the easy choice of identifying the team’s starting floor general, and barring an unexpected trade before the team’s first game, that will be Elfrid Payton.
Entering his fourth year with the team, Payton will either have signed an early extension with the Magic before this game, or will know that he’ll be a restricted free agent next summer.
Either way, the team doesn’t seem ready to give up on him just yet. Would you throw in the towel so easily on the franchise’s all time leader in triple-doubles? Payton is an enigma, and he divides the opinion of Magic fans like nobody else currently on their roster.
Elfrid Payton might be a smidge better than Conley when he got that extension that someone people STRONGLY objected to.
— Bun (@bunrxm) August 12, 2017
Is he a high-IQ guard with fantastic defensive ability that is only improving? Or is he a throwback kind of player who operates best in the paint and who has no dependable jump shot?
Regardless of where you stand on that particular argument, Payton will be driving this team on Oct. 17.
Mack figures to be a nice pickup as a backup here. He did really well with the Utah Jazz last season, and he may put pressure on Payton as the season progresses. But for now we can say with certainty who the starting point guard will be, and really it’s hard to argue with that decision either. For now.