Orlando Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton is known far more for his passing ability than shooting prowess, which makes the hideous yet surprisingly effective lob he threw to fellow first-round pick Aaron Gordon last night especially ironic.
That’s seriously one of the worst alley-oop passes that we’ve ever seen. Not only is Payton’s pass far enough off-target to bank in on the side opposite Gordon, but it’s coming at absolute warp speed, too. Even if the lob had been properly placed, there’s a good chance it might have gone through Gordon’s hands. All’s well that ends well, though.
Payton and Gordon are two cornerstones of Orlando’s future after being selected in the lottery of June’s draft. Though each have much work to do as shooters and general offensive threats, their dynamic athleticism and defensive prowess should make them effective as rookies. But given those deficiencies, plays like alley-oops are how both rookies figure to generate offense this season. For the Magic’s sake, let’s hope Payton is a bit more accurate going forward – he can’t count on luck forever.
What do you think?
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