Underperformer: Elfrid Payton, Phoenix Suns
Well, the honeymoon phase is over for Elfrid Payton and the Phoenix Suns. Payton is averaging 10.3 points, 5.9 assists, 5.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in March. He’s shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and is 0-for-7 from 3-point range across the same span.
Payton did post a triple-double against the Atlanta Hawks back on March 4 (11 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds), but it still came in a 113-112 loss.
It hasn’t been offense that’s been the main concern but defense for Payton. He’s posted a defensive rating of 122.0 along with a net rating of -27.9 this month. It’s well above his defensive rating of 113.5 and a net rating of -11.4 last month. To make matters even worse, his plus/minus score is -17.1 in March.
Next: 2017-18 Week 22 NBA Power Rankings
When it looked like Phoenix was trending in the right direction after trading for Payton, things have changed in a hurry. They have lost seven games in a row and remain winless in March.