Orlando Magic Daily Roundtable: Race to the finish

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Mar 20, 2017; Orlando, FL, USA; Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton (4) drives to the basket against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Amway Center. Orlando defeated Philadelphia 112-109 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Where did Elfrid Payton’s triple-double streak come from?

Badillo: The reason he has been playing so well lately is probably because the 2014 NBA class will soon be eligible for a contract extension this upcoming offseason. Elfrid Payton could be trying to prove to the Magic he could possibly be their future point guard. There is no doubt the Magic are thinking about the offseason and will be making big decisions on what will be best for this franchise. If only Payton could have played like this from the beginning of the season the Magic most likely would be in a better position.

Rossman-Reich: The spacing the team has created just from the threat of more shooting has helped Elfrid Payton so much. He does such a good job getting into the paint and making the right decision, he just needed the space to do it. The Magic have run their offense through him and he has largely delivered for his team. This is all a good sign. Whether this is something he can do consistently if the Magic try to build this way next year is another question.

Scricca: To me, the rebounds are what sticks out the most. He just fights for them and it helps the team a lot. He does a great job anticipating where misses will land, fighting for the ball, and then initiating the offense down the court. According to NBA.com’s rebounding stats, he gets a decent amount of “uncontested” rebounds too (similar to Russell Westbrook), which could be an indicator that his teammates know he is looking to crash the glass to get the offense going at the other end.

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Iwanowski: Payton has always had the ability to score in stretches, as well as the vision for assists and athleticism for rebounds. Now that the offense is more spread out, he has the confidence and room to put that all together and thrive. It is not that his flaws were magically fixed, but that the players around him bring out his skills and maximize his production. I think he could thrive as a solid point guard in a fast and small lineup, but the Magic never truly focused on getting the most out of him.

Palmer: I do not think the triple double steak is really anything new for Elfrid Payton. A lot of it can be contributed to the fact the pace for the team is way up and his minutes are increasing. We have always known that with an uptick in pace his assists could reach double digits. The extra possessions are allowing him to pad his rebounding numbers. It is a fun thing for Magic fans to root for, but I do not know if it is really all that impressive since the Magic keep racking up losses.

Grullon: Payton has always had the ability to fill up the stat sheet on any given night. The issue with Payton has been consistency and playing with energy on a nightly basis. After the Serge Ibaka trade and the introduction of a small-ball lineup, Payton has played like a different player and that is due to the team finally having pieces that complement his style of play. Payton is perfect in an offense where he can push the tempo consistently and where he is surrounded by shooters. This new style of play that Vogel has embraced has allowed Payton to run an offense that he feels comfortable with and it has resulted in a major boost of confidence for him personally and the results have been quite impressive so far.