Elfrid Payton’s impact
We will start with Elfrid Payton.
Payton is a tremendous defender who has the ability to impact games without being actively involved in the box score. While his scoring was not all that impressive in his rookie season, Payton helped the Magic’s plus/minus substantially, primarily due to his rock-solid defense.
With Payton on the court, Orlando’s point differential was -3.9 points per game. While he was off, that number fell to -8.7 points per game — a substantial testament to his defensive capability and playmaking ability as a point guard.
Pelican Debrief
Even though Payton contributed plenty to the Magic last season, one glaring issue with his game is his jump shot and scoring ability in general.
While it is in no way a necessity for Payton to be a knock-down shooter — especially with his court vision and passing ability — it certainly would not hurt for him to be able to knock down mid-range jump shots from time-to-time.
Payton’s jumper saw some noticeable improvement throughout last season, but if he can stretch the floor just a bit for Orlando, it would pay huge dividends offensively allowing Nikola Vucevic room to work inside, and give Victor Oladipo some extra space for slashing to the basket, which he already does exceptionally well.
His jump shot does not have to be his point of attack in terms of improved scoring. If Payton can polish off his finishing ability to go with his ball handling, that should do just fine.
Orlando needs offensive production from Payton. That means scoring, not necessarily shooting.
Next: Victor Oladipo