Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: Jan. 20 at Orlando Magic
By Ti Windisch
Player To Watch: Elfrid Payton
The Magic know they’ll get good contributions from their big men, but the guard spot is less certain. With Evan Fournier likely out with heel soreness and Jodie Meeks out with sprained ligaments in his thumb, that leaves a lot of pressure on Elfrid Payton.
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The only guard besides Fournier, Meeks and Payton scoring more than 3.3 points per game on the Magic is D.J. Augustin. Either Orlando finally lets Mario Hezonja play, or they slide Aaron Gordon down to shooting guard–the Magic don’t have many other options.
Anyway, back to Payton. He’s been playing better lately, but Orlando is still 2-9 over their last 11 games. There is one positive trend related to the point guard though–the Magic are 4-1 in games where he dishes ten or more assists, and 7-3 when he records more than seven assists.
When Payton gets the ball moving and runs Orlando’s offense well, the Magic tend to win. Point guards that can’t shoot can be tough to win with in the Association, but good passing can help make up for that key deficiency at times.