Befuddling player rotations theme of Orlando Magic’s three-loss week

What about Elfrid Payton?

Elfrid Payton started the third quarter after playing just nine minutes in the first half, and he lasted barely four minutes into the second half before being pulled for the night.

While his struggles offensively have been clear to see, there has to be the matter of whether it is better to just let the rookie play through it. Orlando is in no real spot to contend for the postseason, and the team is leaving the best development of a season seemingly lost left to linger on the pine.

Teams are absolutely daring Payton to shoot, and he finds himself confused or hesitant often in mid-range, likely well aware that the only looks that are really falling for him are the floaters in the paint. With very little on-ball pressure coming from his defender, it is making it even more difficult to strike his sharp passes into traffic. He had just one turnover in his 13 minutes of play tonight, but also only one assist.

As had been the case during his great play just over a week ago, Payton’s dribbles into traffic are now yielding nothing productive to speak of. The pick and roll sets in the half court are going to Victor Oladipo and Vucevic — and working far better.

While Oladipo is hardly Ray Allen himself, he can knock down the mid-range well enough to be respected.  He also can get to the basket almost at will. Oladipo is still adjusting to learning to read an NBA defense, but he was one of only three Magic players to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor in Sunday night’s loss (Channing Frye and Nicholson were the other two).

All of this has left the Magic with a confusing change in the player rotation. It starting point guard is being benched for the reserve utility guard in Willie Green.

Next: How strange are these rotations really?