By John Denton
Oct. 9, 2016
ORLANDO – Orlando’s Frank Vogel and Elfrid Payton are still developing their head coach/point guard chemistry, a bond that is almost always one of the tightest on a basketball team.
That getting-to-know-you process was put on hold for a brief time when Payton strained a hip flexor early in training camp, causing him to miss eight days of action and the Magic’s first two preseason games.
Despite their newness around one another, the head coach has already picked up a distinct vibe from his point guard early on in the preseason.
``He’s playing with a chip on his shoulder,’’ Vogel said of Payton. ``I don’t think he necessarily needs to; I just think he needs to play aggressively.
``We have a lot of belief in him and he has a bright future for our organization,’’ the coach added. ``But he’s definitely playing with a chip on his shoulder and with confidence.’’
Though they are still learning one another, Vogel’s assessment of Payton proved to be dead on. The point guard admitted as much on Saturday following his first practice back with the team since last week because of the hip pain. Payton was back on the practice court again on Sunday, working without any limitations and promising to remain in attack mode this season.
``I always try to play with a chip on my shoulder and prove myself to, ummmm, myself. I can see where (Vogel) sees that,’’ Payton said of his determined approach. ``Every year you have more to prove and you always want to come back with something better.’’
The Magic don’t mind that Payton is playing with an edge and is determined to show that he’s improved as both a playmaker and a shooter. Following a dazzling rookie season in 2014-15, Payton struggled throughout much of last season under a coaching staff that demanded he keep the ball moving via the pass instead of dribbling it to probe the defense. For whatever, reason, the frustrations on offense seemed to spill over to the defensive end where Payton – who twice had ankle injuries – seemed to struggle with staying in front opposing point guards.
Enter Vogel, Orlando’s new coach since May, and his innate ability to instill confidence and aggressiveness into players. He has stressed to Payton that he wants him shooting the ball when left open and he wants him lighting up defenses when shown lanes to the rim.
``I don’t want him to probe; I want him to attack and be in attack mode,’’ Vogel said of Payton, who averaged 10.7 points, 6.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds last season. ``In the September pick-up games and these last couple of days in practice he’s proven to be a dynamic open-court player. I want him to be in attack mode and when he gets into the paint – and he’s going to get into the paint – to make great decisions.’’
The Magic got power forward Serge Ibaka (knee bruise), small forward Aaron Gordon (ankle sprain) and Payton (hip flexor strain) back to practice on Saturday and all three were fine to go again on Sunday. Barring any setbacks, all three should be available on Wednesday night when the Magic host the San Antonio Spurs in the team’s Amway Center debut. It will be the first time that the team has all five projected starters together for a preseason game.
Payton, 22, admitted recently that missing time in training camp was especially frustrating for him because he spent most of his time over the summer in the gym in an attempt to grow his game. In addition to working to add more muscle so that he would be a better finisher around the rim, Payton also spent time working on his much-discussed shooting stroke. He made small strides last season, but he still connected on just 43.6 percent of his shots from the floor, 32.6 percent of his 3-point tries and 58.9 percent of his free throws.
Now in his third NBA season, Payton feels that he has the experience, honed mechanics and confidence to be a solid shooter. After all the Magic aren’t asking Payton to be a 3-point marksman like Ray Allen; they simply want him to make defenses honor him as a shooting threat, knock down open shots and stay aggressive with driving opportunities.
``I worked on a lot of things this summer with trying to get stronger and working on my shooting,’’ Payton said. ``It’s hard to say where I’m going to take the biggest jump, but a jump will be made.’’
Vogel thinks that Payton will be better because the Magic dramatically upgraded their frontline with the acquisitions of center Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green and Ibaka. Payton was at his best late last season when he had former Magic center Dewayne Dedmon rolling directly to the rim for alley-oop dunk opportunities. Now, Ibaka and Biyombo will be in those roles and Payton will be given a green light to push the pace.
Vogel knows full well that opposing coaches will make Payton prove that he can make outside shots, well, because he used to be one of those opposing coaches who dared the Magic guard to shoot from afar.
``We’d do the same thing and all of the guys who aren’t known for their shooting, we’d make them prove it,’’ said Vogel, formerly the head coach of the Indiana Pacers before coming to Orlando. ``I think our bigs this year are screening a lot better than I saw on tape last year. There are ways to get (Payton) going downhill (for drives to the rim) and that’s our intent.’’
Payton knows that the growth of himself, Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja could go a long way in determining just how good the Magic are this season. On a team loaded with stellar defensive players, Orlando’s bid to make a playoff run could come down to its ability to score and make shots from the outside. If the Magic can get major growth from Payton, they very well could become one of the surprise teams in the Eastern Conference this season.
``I think time will tell if I’m in my prime now, but I think I’m ready to make a jump,’’ Payton said confidently. ``I think I made a lot of strides this summer and I think we have the team and coaching staff to showcase those things. Young guys like Aaron (Gordon), Mario (Hezonja) and myself put in a lot of work on their games this summer, and I really think it’s going to be a big year for us.’’
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.