hugepatsfan wrote:Early in his career but he shows lots of skills you like to see. He plays with good pace and understanding of his own skill set/limitations and how defenses are playing him. He just looks natural out there initiating and creating offense for himself and others. Defensively, seems like he's always going to be a liability but gives enough effort and plays smart enough that scheme can manage it the way we've always done for other PGs. Not sure I see huge upside but feeling pretty good about him being a guy who can give us good minutes off the bench. Having a late 1st rounder like this being able to give you even just 15-20 minutes a night goes a long way in building the rotation.
Payton is not a lock down defender, but he is not such a liability either. Admittedly, four games is not a large sample, but I have not seen him being abused. He is a committed player with a high BBIQ who makes the most of his skills. Over four games, he has 6 steals, and they all came due to his defensive efforts. As for his minutes, apart from the first game where he got 13 minutes, he has been averaging 25 minutes/game, and seeing time in the closing minutes when the game is on the line. He does not look out of place at all, and plays with the confidence of a veteran. As you say, he looks natural out there, and is earning his minutes, as well as the respect of his teammates and coach.