Elfrid Payton has Frank Vogel’s trust with recent play

Elfrid Payton has put together a strong run of play and earned his coach’s trust for every situation. That is at least one good sign for the Orlando Magic.

The Orlando Magic were not quite desperate for a win, but they needed some energy as they played the LA Clippers a few weeks ago. Frank Vogel changed the lineup and the rotation for the first time that night, opting to go small to try to spark something.

That was not the mistake he would later admit. That would occur with five minutes left in the third quarter. Elfrid Payton checked out of the game for the final time at that point with the Magic trailing by two points. Payton had made just three of nine shots and dished out three assists. But he played only 23 minutes that game.

The Magic did not return to him. Vogel opted to stick with D.J. Augustin for the rest of the game. The Magic faltered down the stretch with D.J. Augustin making two of nine shots.

Vogel said he pulled Payton aside after that game and admitted his mistake. The young point guard in Payton had his trust. He would not make that mistake of leaving him on the bench again.

“With a young player, I did not come back to him a few games back in the Clipper game, and we weren’t able to pull that game out,” Vogel said after the Magic defeated the Milwaukee Bucks last Friday. “I grabbed him afterward and said unless something extreme is happening, I am always going to come back to you. I am going to empower you with this team and to take advantage of it. He has put together some solid games since.”

And Payton has rewarded that trust since then.

Since then, Payton is averaging 19.1 points per game, shooting 50.5 percent from the floor and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. In addition, he has added 7.4 assists per game. He has scored at least 20 points in four of his last six games — a not insignificant feat for Payton.

As small a sample size as this may be, it is a good sign of Payton turning a corner of sorts.

Rob Hennigan in his various interviews this week applauded Payton for his development and play of late. Payton’s play the last few weeks is the kind of play the Magic always envisioned. He is someone who is attacking and finishing around the basket and shooting confidently. All while maintaining his strong passing ability.

“I’m knocking down shots, continuing to go work hard, my teammates are looking for me and I’m finishing at the rim,” Payton said. “I just have to continue to build off it and continue to learn from it. Each game is different. Teammates continue to trust me more.”

Trust is such an important factor for young players. Coaches, especially when they are trying to win, tend not to trust young players fearing their inconsistency. And Payton got caught in that snag at various times this season.

Payton had to earn that trust with a new coach for the third time in three years. Hennigan admitted in his interview with Scott Anez that it must have had the young guard’s head spinning. And Payton certainly had his issues last year — both on the court and reportedly off the court too.

There were a lot of questions surrounding Payton as the season began this year. He had to up his offensive game and Vogel gave him a green light to shoot. But no one knew how he would react.

So far, it appears Payton has taken the bumps and bruises of this season and emerged as a better player.

“He’s very poised,” Aaron Gordon said. “Offensively, he is becoming more aggressive. He is understanding he is a big athletic guard. Bigger than a lot of guards in this league. He is taking that and using it to his advantages. As I see him growing, he’s playing to his strengths much more.”

The last three weeks have seen Payton’s individual play increase. His career-high 29 points against the Utah Jazz was a tour de force of individual numbers. He added nine rebounds and nine assists. But the game still ended in a loss.

But, like that Clippers game a few nights before, the Magic lost as Payton seemed to slow himself down late in the game. His aggression dialed down, thus making his shooting more of an issue. The Magic went away from his control over the game and suffered for it.

In fact, through this strong stretch of play from Payton, the Magic are 2-5. Payton, usually a driver of Magic victories, has not been able to correlate his strong play with wins.

With the Magic short on guards right now, the Magic have had to rely on Payton even more. He has played more than 37 minutes in four of his past six games and three games straight. The Magic better trust Payton, because without Augustin there are few point guards who can really elevate this team in a significant way.

Payton’s recent run has proven himself to be one of the Magic’s better players. And the Magic need that on the floor. They need Payton in attack mode.

“EP is a monster,” Aaron Gordon said. “We’ve been together for our third year, and I have known even before then he is tenacious on offensive and defense. He makes the right play. Defensively, he’s really really good.”

And right now, Vogel is giving Payton the freedom to play. It has done wonders for his game.

Consistency has always been the piece that eludes Payton. As a young player, he is still figuring his way through the league — even in his third year as the starter.

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If his recent play is any indication, Payton has gained and earned the trust of his coaches. That should enable him to play freer. And, ultimately, that makes the Magic better.