Could Orlando’s Elfrid Payton be Toast of 2014 Rookie Class?

The no-look passes Payton throws are true no-looks, not the ever-popular variety where the passer turns his head after spotting his teammate to jet a faux no-look through traffic.

There are not a lot of true distributors like Payton whose natural vision enables them to make the kind of passes we have seen from Elfrid this season.

The number of times it has appeared he is about to turn the ball over only to flip it over his shoulder or bounce it through traffic for a layup seem innumerable.

In some senses, we have begun to expect the incredible. That is the mark of a premier talent, and the jaw-dropping passes he makes really haven’t been seen in pinstripes since Anfernee Hardaway. That is exactly the lofty comparison Payton received in finding a former Magic star to contrast styles with.

To put Payton on the level of an All-NBA first team performer is lofty praise, but the fact remains that there has not been a ball distributor in a Magic uniform any more flashy and solid than Payton. Oddly, the best two passers in Magic history played together in Scott Skiles and Hardaway, and Payton has the talent to be right up there with both.

Magic fans will remember it was Skiles who set the NBA record for most assists in a game with 30, and Penny was at one time drawing comparisons to a young Magic Johnson with his flashy brilliance in the open court. The best comparison for Payton thus far has been Rondo, and all of these labels speak to a potential that could render Payton better than even Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker.

Next: Defense is Payton's calling card