Elfrid Payton’s return will help New Orleans Pelicans get back on track

As the New Orleans Pelicans look to bounce back from a stretch of losses, adding a healthy Elfrid Payton back into the line up should alleviate many of their recent struggles.

After a hot start to the 2018-19 campaign rattling off four straight wins, including a blowout victory against the Houston Rockets in their own arena to tip the season off, the New Orleans Pelicans got hit with a series of losses to slide them just under a .500 record through the first 11 games. The panic button remains untouched, however, as health has had much to do with their early tribulations.

Anthony Davis’ absence and nagging elbow injury has been detrimental to New Orleans’ hopes to close out opponents recently. Injury has also kept Elfrid Payton sidelined through the last six games of the season after spraining his ankle during the Pelicans’ game against the Utah Jazz.

The loss of Payton for this team can’t be understated, and it’s something head coach Alvin Gentry has been vocal about. In speaking with Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate, Gentry had this to say of Payton:

"“What he does is, it would put Jrue [Holiday] back in his natural position, and it gives us a good player back on the floor who is a defender and made a lot of plays for us. He has the capability of getting to the basket and creating plays for people. So, yes. We miss him. We miss him a lot.”"

The impact the first-year Pelicans point guard has on this team is seen in the numbers, as well. In the first four games of the season with Elfrid Payton starting at the 1 alongside Jrue Holiday at the 2, New Orleans averaged 11.8 turnovers. Through the last six games without Payton, this team has turned the ball over 16.7 times a game.

The Pelicans also experienced a 5.9 percent dip in 3-point percentage and a 3.0 percent dip in field goal percentage. Payton’s ability to create plays and hit teammates with precise passes is his forte, and those numbers, along with averaging three fewer assists per contest, show how important his skill-set is to the team.

Having Elfrid Payton off the court has affected their defense as well. New Orleans averaged 2.8 more steals in their first four games with a Payton-Holiday backcourt. Having Payton orchestrate the offense gives Holiday the ability to expend more energy on the defensive end, and he is nothing shy of one of best defenders at his position.

Filling in for Payton’s minutes has been a committee effort. New Orleans has tried a few different names, with Wesley Johnson and Tim Frazier both getting opportunities in the starting lineup, as well as Ian Clark clocking in a little over five extra minutes of court time. While these players are reliable role players that can provide production in spurts for the Pelicans, it has been apparent they cannot match what Payton contributed.

The good news for this squad is that Elfrid Payton should be suiting up again very soon, with the team eyeing its Saturday matchup against the Phoenix Suns as his first game back. Per Andrew Lopez of The New Orleans Times-Picayune, he’ll be a game-time decision.

His eventual return for the Pels should be sigh of relief for fans as this team aims to climb back to the top of Western Conference standings.