There was a time earlier this season when the Orlando Magic seemed like a legitimate playoff contender. I don't know if you can remember it, but it did happen this season - I swear. Nowadays, the team looks very different and it isn't playing very well, having lost four in a row and eight of its last 10.
The best thing for the Magic to do now that they are all but eliminated from the playoffs is look ahead. That means getting their young guys in situations that will help them succeed moving forward to help breed team success. One of those young guys who needs to be focused on is point guard Elfrid Payton.
Payton missed five games earlier this month with an elbow injury, but he was able to return on Sunday. In the two games since he has been back, Payton has come off the bench instead of starting, but head coach Scott Skiles doesn't expect that to be long-term as he said he should re-join the starting lineup soon.
Payton did play 31 minutes on Monday night in the loss to the Celtics off the bench, but he wasn't all that productive. One of the reasons Payton has not been inserted into the starting lineup already is because his elbow seems to still be bothering him. Payton said that if he is playing he is fine and did not make any excuses, but he was seen clenching his fist several times over the past two games which is a telltale sign he is not 100 percent.
The 22-year-old point guard has shown some nice improvement in his second NBA season as he has increased his numbers basically across the board. Payton is averaging 10.5 points (up from 8.9) and is shooting 37 percent from three (up from 26 percent). The shooting woes were the biggest concern about Payton when he entered the NBA, but he seems to have remedied them at least a little bit.
Getting Payton back into the starting lineup as soon as possible is a good idea for Skiles and the Magic. Payton is the point guard of the future and has shown he can be a really effective NBA player. Brandon Jennings is starting at point guard now but he may not even be on the team next season as he will be a free agent this summer. While it is understandable that Skiles wants to ease his young point guard in after an injury it is the time of the season where he should throw him out there and let him gain more experience.
