« The story is crazy, crazy. But I know I’m not crazy. » So expresses Elfrid Payton at the end of a major performance in the defeat of the Pelicans on the floor of the Pacers.
While he was recalled by New Orleans a few days ago, to compensate for the cascade of injuries the team is facing, the playmaker showed that he was much more than a stopgap.
« EP was… fantastic. His ability to create quality shots for his teammates, to control the game… In defense, he is pugnacious. He can defend in all positions if necessary. We are very, very grateful to have him in our group », Enthuses his coach Willie Green, with whom he played in Orlando.
We understand this at the end of a match where Elfrid Payton multiplied the good readings of the game, on the cuts of his teammates. Or in his bindings in the middle of the racket to put his interiors into orbit, most often the leaping Yves Missi in the alley-oop.
Or to transmit to his shooters, including CJ McCollum who finally made his return, while Brandon Ingram was absent. Result: at the break, the 10th choice of the 2014 Draft already had ten offerings on the clock.
Express integration
A total that the leader, much more discreet in his first two outings with his new team (7.5 points and 6 assists), simply… doubled afterwards! With his 21 assists, in addition to 14 points (7/11 on shots) and 7 rebounds, he exploded his previous career record in passing (17)!
As he says, this match, his first in the Big League since April 2022 when he played for the Suns, “ means a lot “. For the record, the leader, now 30 years old, played with the Indiana Mad Ants in the G-League. His stats in the antechamber of the Great League: 12.2 points, 9.6 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. For him, his express integration into an NBA franchise is not surprising.
« It’s the way I naturally am and the way I play, the way I see the game. It’s easy for others to gravitate towards me. I had their confidence quickly, they know that I try to generate easy shots for them. We build from there, every day, in training. It was pretty quick. I do my best to talk on the bench, in the game, whenever we have some time », he finishes, aware that it is the moment to show himself.
| Elfrid Payton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | To | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2014-15 | ORL | 82 | 30 | 42.5 | 26.2 | 55.1 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 4.3 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 8.9 |
| 2015-16 | ORL | 73 | 29 | 43.6 | 32.6 | 58.9 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 6.4 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 10.7 |
| 2016-17 | ORL | 82 | 29 | 47.1 | 27.4 | 69.2 | 1.1 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 6.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 12.8 |
| 2017-18 * | All Teams | 63 | 29 | 49.3 | 32.6 | 64.9 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 4.3 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 0.3 | 12.7 |
| 2017-18 * | ORL | 44 | 29 | 52.0 | 37.3 | 63.2 | 1.1 | 2.9 | 4.0 | 6.2 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 13.0 |
| 2017-18 * | PHX | 19 | 29 | 43.5 | 20.0 | 68.5 | 0.9 | 4.4 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 0.3 | 11.8 |
| 2018-19 | NOP | 42 | 30 | 43.4 | 31.4 | 74.3 | 1.2 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 7.6 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 10.6 |
| 2019-20 | NOW | 45 | 28 | 43.9 | 20.3 | 57.0 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 7.2 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 10.0 |
| 2020-21 | NOW | 63 | 24 | 43.2 | 28.6 | 68.2 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 10.1 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 50 | 11 | 38.3 | 22.2 | 37.5 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 3.0 |
| 2024-25 | NOP | 3 | 27 | 56.0 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 11.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 3.7 | 0.0 | 9.7 |
| Total | 503 | 27 | 44.8 | 28.7 | 62.3 | 1.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 5.8 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.3 | 10.1 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
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