"End Of Season Series": Magic Player Rankings - Elfird Payton

[shinoff2183]

So are the other players gonna get done?

[the_hobo]

So are the other players gonna get done?

I want moar!

[Melvinlocker]

Not sure how you are justifying the thought that championship teams don't need a PG that can shoot but we can disagree there as well.

If he improves I would be thrilled, but I'm not putting all my eggs in that basket. I hope our GM is looking out for an upgrade this summer. Otherwise I hope Dipo goes back to splitting more minutes at PG

You're not using an injury excuse on a guy that clearly looked hampered and less effective immediately before and after his injuries? Okay.

And I'm not saying that championship teams don't need it, I'm challenging the view of his non-shooting being "crippling" to the team. If we continue to bring in non-shooters and field a team of non-shooters then yeah it's going to be crippling for the fact that nobody on our team will be a reliable outside shooter. Payton is clearly not without his faults, that much is certain. That's not up for dispute by me.

People are going to be very disappointed if we want to "replace Payton" with anybody other than a Conley type (unless we are able to acquire a top 10 PG) because they can shoot. And I use shoot loosely because I've seen cries for Brandon Knight / even Kyrie types that can stretch the floor but don't do anything else at a high level currently.

If there's a common theme on our team that equates to wins it's sharing the ball on offense.

And Dipo isn't a PG. Never will be. His role is fine how it is which is handling the ball a decent amount of time all game and playing spot minutes at PG if there is foul trouble or injuries.

This is a very important statement. For all his faults, Payton still has excellent ability as a passer and defender. If we get rid of him, we need to make sure that we bring in a guy with his passing/defense mix, plus the ability to score the ball efficiently.

I think that the guards who fit this mold are as follows: Chris Paul, Jeff Teague, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry and Jrue Holiday.

Conley is going to be a free agent this year, while Paul, Lowry and Teague come off the books next year. Jrue Holiday would have to be added through a trade.

Also, I think if Paul is available in trade this summer, we should look into swiping him up before free agency begins. We could have him, plus space for two max contracts, resign Fournier and use the trade exception to grab another vet to come off the bench.

[purpleswordfish]

I would say below average starter right now with the potential to become a slightly above average starter in the future. I know a lot of people like Elfrid Payton because he's 22 and has cool hair. But, if his name was something like "Willie Green" and he was putting up stats like the shot chart below, those same people would be calling for his head.

http://vorped.com/1-nba/2015-2016/player/1767/elfrid-payton/shotchart/

[SOUL]

No, because Willie Green wasn't a point guard that for the most part knows his strengths and weaknesses and does a lot of other things well.

[Tayswagzzz]

No, because Willie Green wasn't a point guard that for the most part knows his strengths and weaknesses and does a lot of other things well.

4th Quarter Willie!

[woosah]

I don't know what to make of Elfrid. I do seem to recall when he got here that they told him to just learn the nba game and they didn't mess with him in terms of changing his shot mechanics and just let him freestyle. Then the summer came and all the changes started happening, and then a new coach was added and more changes happened, and he didn't deal with it well. The effort he sometimes showed was frustrating, and his injuries did add to his crappy performance to a degree, but what we saw of Elfrid at his most raw still gives me the idea that he can be a great pg. This was a disappointing year for him, so for the season i would say his was below average. I do think the strong finish demonstrates that he can improve and will do so.

[ezzzp]

Nice article on Elfrid Payton's strengths, weaknesses and how his development should proceed:

Sports Illustrated - The Craft: Elfrid Payton is tested by modern NBA

[Melvinlocker]

Shooting Analysis- Elfrid Payton


2015-16 (includes % improvements from last year)

2P- 45.1% (+1.6%)

0-3ft- 58.3% (+6.8%)

3-10ft- 38.1% (+0.5%)

10-16ft- 35.5% (+2.6%)

16-3Pft- 25.2% (-9.3%)

3P- 32.6% (+6.4%)

FT- 58.9% (+3.8%)


Quick Hitters:
-Shot 107 attempts from 16-3P range compared to 55 attempts last year.
-Saw an increase in 3P shot attempts from 42 last year to 92 this year.
-Saw dramatic increase from ranges 0-3 and 10-16 ft. with little change in overall shot attempts from those areas.
-Saw a dramatic % increase from 3-10 ft. range with a significant decrease in total attempts (58 less to be exact).
-Displayed minor improvement in FT%.

Summary
Elfrid improved in a number of areas this year. He is able to finish shots around the rim at a respectable rate and he showed a dramatic increase in virtually every shooting range. The one glaring omission is his shooting from 16-3P range. He nearly doubled his shot attempts from that area and saw a dramatic decrease in shooting percentage. Some may suggest that he quit shooting those shots altogether, but these are shots that a player with his skillset must hit. Tony Parker is the gold standard for this shot as he shot over 200 shots from this range at 45.5%.

Elfrid must also continue to improve his free-throw shooting and three point shooting. He made significant strides in each area this year, but he will need to continue that trend next year.

2017 Primary Goals
1. 35%+ shooting from 16-3P. No decrease in shot attempts.
2. Free-throw shooting needs to be 65%+ next year.
3. 3PT shooting needs to be north of 35% on over 100 attempts.

BONUS- Any improvement from other shooting ranges is gravy.

All of these goals are achievable if he puts in the necessary work.

[Viper1500]

Definitely below average

I had high hopes for him this season and nothing really changed, he looked lost. His defense has really fallen off a cliff since college. His 3pt shot may have improved but when you're shooting 30% and the nearest defender is 10 feet away that isn't impressive at all.


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