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Elfrid Payton Named to NBA All-Rookie First Team

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

Orlando, FL – Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton has been named to the 2014-15 NBA All-Rookie First Team, the league has announced. He received 121 First Team votes out of a possible 130.

Payton becomes the ninth player in franchise history to be named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He was joined on the First Team by Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins, Chicago’s Nikola Mirotic, Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel and Jordan Clarkson of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Payton played in all 82 games (63 starts) during his rookie campaign, averaging 8.9 ppg., a team-high 6.5 apg., 4.3 rpg. and a team-high 1.73 stlpg. in 30.3 minpg. He also had an assists-to-turnover ratio of 2.63 (533/203). Payton was the only Magic player to appear in every regular season game. He ranked 13th in the NBA in steals, 14th in assists and 16th in assists-to-turnover ratio. Payton also ranked among all NBA rookies in scoring (eighth), rebounding (tied for eighth), assists (first), field goal percentage (seventh), steals (second) and minutes played (fourth).

Payton led (or tied) the Magic in scoring four times, in rebounding six times and in assists a team-best 64 times. On March 18 @ Dallas, he became the third rookie in Magic history to record a triple-double (Hardaway, Oladipo). Then on March 20 vs. Portland, Payton tallied his second straight triple-double, becoming the first player in Magic history to ever post consecutive triple-doubles. He also became just the seventh rookie in NBA history and the first since April 16-18, 1997 to accomplish the feat.