Why Elfrid Payton is set to be most improved

The Magic have a few players who are primed for big steps forward this season, but none more than point guard Elfrid Payton.

The Magic are a young team built around its core prospects, which means several of the players are geared for big improvements in the upcoming years.

When determining who I believe to be the most improved, I do not just look at the difference between his current self and his ceiling, but also how quickly I think the transition can come and how much the player’s improvement affects the team’s results.

I believe Elfrid Payton will be the most improved player next season, as he will be the key to whether the team contends for a playoff spot.

Payton was overall a huge bright spot for the Magic in 2015. And his improvement started with the Magic taking the chance on him on Draft night.

He is a 21-year-old point guard. He was measured at the combine at about 6-foot-4 with shoes, along with a 6-foot-8 wingspan and 35.5 max vertical. He has the size and athleticism to be very effective at the point guard position.

He had a very positive effect on the court for a poor Magic team as a rookie. He finished 14th out of all point guards in Real Plus Minus, a stat that measures a player’s impact on a team’s points per 100 possessions and controls for teammates and opponents. He was ninth out of all point guards in Defensive Real Plus Minus, 21st in Offensive RPM, and ninth in Wins Above Replacement.

With Payton on the court, the team scored 101.6 points per 100 possessions and allowed 105 points per 100 possessions. He provided an upgrade, specifically on offense, in comparison to the team average of 99.6 points per 100 possessions and 105.2 points against per 100 possessions.

Clearly Payton had a big impact on the team, and he still has a lot of room for improvement.

Next: Shooting: Room for improvement