When Elfrid Payton grabbed his 10th rebound in the Orlando Magic's 111-104 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, he became the first player in Magic history to record a triple-double in two consecutive games. He was the first rookie to record back-to-back triple-doubles since Antoine Walker in 1997, and the seventh rookie in NBA history to do so.
Elfrid Payton is doing things no rookie should be able to do
The rookie makes the Orlando Magic’s future look bright.
Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The consecutive triple-doubles are grabbing the nation’s attention, but Payton has been playing at a high level since January.
Andrew Wiggins is likely to win the Rookie of the Year award -- he's averaging 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game -- but Payton is building quite the résumé while impressing as the season progresses.
Payton is averaging 8.7 points, 6.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds in just under 30 minutes per game. Since Jan. 1, however, those numbers jump to 10.7 points, 7.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 33 minutes per game. The 6’4 point guard keeps on improving as he’s given more responsibility in leading the Magic offense.
Payton’s abilities are similar to other do-it-all point guards like Rajon Rondo. He plays the game with ease, has excellent court vision and is full of athleticism, as evidenced by this put-back dunk:
Payton has a high basketball IQ. He puts himself where he's supposed to be in order to make a play. And his vision and spacing allows for the other Magic players to thrive. In this play, Victor Oladipo and Payton are on the same page, much to the chagrin of the Dallas Mavericks:
Those two players are the main reason for the Orlando Magic to be excited about the future. While every one of Payton’s moves seem deliberate and planned, Oladipo brings high energy. If they develop, the backcourt could be one of the best in the league in the next couple of years.
Payton is also a solid shooter. He hits 42.8 percent of his shots from the field (45 percent since Jan. 1). He does have a few weaknesses, however. He only shoots 53 percent from the free throw line and is hitting only one out of every four three-point shots this season -- he is hitting 35.7 percent in the new year.
Payton may not win the Rookie of the Year award in 2015, but he is making the Magic a team that should be feared.
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