Trust Elfrid Payton

He might just be a rookie, but Elfrid Payton has already more than proven himself as a trustworthy and reliable part of this franchise’s future.

For the past two years, the Orlando Magic have opted to move slowly when it comes to their rookies, sometimes frustratingly so.

It is an 82-game season and they do not want to burn rookies out. It has led to frustrating shackles put on the team’s best players at times. Winning was not completely the goal those first two years though, and so it was better to see a rookie physically and mentally make it through a season and play consistently well rather than go through the ups and downs rookies go through.

That is going to happen anyway. And, at a certain point, rookies stop being rookies. They become players coaches can trust.

It took Jacque Vaughn nearly half a season to put that trust in Elfrid Payton. It seemed clear early in the season that he would one day have to. Payton was playing that well. Eventually, the best players push for playing time and coaches have no choice but to reward them.

Everyone noticed . . . even if he was just the guy with the crazy hair.

“I just think it started with their point guard . . . the guy with the crazy hair,” said Dwight Howard after, yes, Payton scored 15 points and dished out four assists to go with six rebounds against the Rockets. He is the one that started everything. He got into our guards on teh defensive end. On the offensive end, he pushed the pace and made things happen.”

Payton’s ability to control the pace of a game has made him stand out among the Magic’s young players. He pushed his way into the starting lineup sooner than many had expected and then pushed his way into redefining how the Magic played midseason.

It was Payton’s full-court pressure against Portland which sped the tempo up and sparked the Magic out of a malaise. It is his ability to penetrate and make quick decisions that got him in the league and into the starting lineup.

Payton’s play has provided a ton of hope. Even in a month where the Magic won only two games and rode what has become a 10-game losing streak, he was the clear choice for the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for January.

“He’s halfway through his rookie year and I think overall he has challenged himself to grow up and learn the league,” former coach Jacque Vaughn said. “I think his confidence is at a pretty good level right now. Especially for a rookie, I think he has found some success. He’ll continue to learn the league and continue to work on his game.”

Payton’s improvement has been gradual. His offensive and defensive game have continued to progress as the team has continued through the season. He still makes mistakes and still shows plenty of flashes.

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At the end of the Magic’s game against the Bulls, Payton took it right at Derrick Rose. He scored or assisted on seven consecutive points and then came up with a big steal that helped give the Magic that fateful six-point lead with 36 seconds to play.

All told, Payton is averaging 7.8 points and 5.7 assists per game entering Monday’s game against Washington. He has posted a pretty astonishing 31.2 percent assist rate and his defensive ability has been shown in his 1.2 defensive win shares, according to Basketball-Reference.

Payton has seemingly been oblivious to the players he is going up against. Sunday, he was unafraid to go right at former MVP Derrick Rose late in the game. His two baskets at the rim, assist to Channing Frye for the 3-pointer and steal to set up Victor Oladipo‘s drive seemed to put the game out of reach.

He was doing the same driving right at John Wall and corralling him throughout the game — so long as Wall was not in transition.

Even in a little more than 50 games, Payton has proven he does more than belong. He is holding up physically, having played in every game to this point of the season. He is still getting used to the pace of the game at this level — he is still much better at the faster pace than in the half court and his jumper still needs more improvement.

Orlando has started to put more and more trust in the rookie point guard. And he is beginning to reward them.

That does not mean he will not have his rookie moments still. Payton is a poor shooter at 42.3 percent per game. He drives often a little reluctant to shoot — although his floater has continued to improve and you can tell his confidence usually by his willingness to attack looking to score and pass.

And Payton is a tenacious defender. Sometimes too tenacious. He gambles for steals a lot and has something of a penchant for committing fouls in the backcourt while applying pressure.

The risk/reward sometimes pays off for him and those plays have helped turn games.

“Once you’re a rookie, you’re still a rookie,” Vaughn said. “There are very few who aren’t. You continue to watch film and you continue to coach him. He’s getting better in some areas and he’s got some work to do in some other areas. There is a long list of them: transition defense, guarding your man one-on-one, being able to be in the right spot every time on every play.

“But there are some great things he is doing also: getting to the rim, getting to the paint, initiating our offense for our teammates, playing very unselfishly. A long list on both sides.”

For the rest of this season, certainly, Payton will have to check off the words Vaughn likely left him with as far improvement. Knowing how to play at the right pace and control older teammates will be a continuing process for him.

As things stand though, Payton has differentiated himself as the best point guard on the team and a capable leader for this team’s future at the position.

Now, the Magic just have to turn the keys over to the kid and let him drive the bus.

Next: Time for the Orlando Magic to embrace the grind and grow up