Elfrid Payton in rare company to start his career

The Orlando Magic's season is off to a rough start. The team remains winless at 0-4 entering Wednesday's contest against the Philadelphia 76ers, but there's at least one bright spot in the team's play, and it comes from a key source.

Orlando has a lot of capital invested in Elfrid Payton. To acquire the rookie's rights, the Magic sent to the Sixers the rights to Dario Saric--a promising young forward--and a future first-round Draft choice. Those assets are pretty valuable, especially for a rebuilding team like the Magic. And while Payton's shooting still leaves plenty to be desired--he's at 30.6 percent on the young season--he's still making a difference with his passing.

As NBA.com/stats notes, via Twitter, Tuesday's seven-assist performance against the Chicago Bulls put the UL-Lafayette product in rare company to start his career: he joins Oscar Robertson and John Wall as the only rookies to record seven-plus assists in each of his first four career games.

That's not to suggest Payton is on the same career trajectory as Robinson or Wall, of course; it's absurdly early in Payton's to make such a statement. If nothing else, though, that achievement highlights that Payton can make plays despite opposing defenses' not having to worry about his woeful outside shot.