Orlando Magic Guard Elfrid Payton Could Miss Several More Games With Hamstring Strain
Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton may miss a handful of games early on this season while he continues to deal with a hamstring injury.
The fourth-year pro sustained the injury in the second quarter of their game against the Brooklyn Nets last Friday, and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on Saturday revealed that he has a "mild to moderate" hamstring strain.
Payton's expected to miss multiple games, but he's still glad to hear that he didn't suffer a serious injury.
"I'm still blessed because there have been a lot of worse injuries in the season so far. I'm blessed that I'm going to be able to come back and not miss a lot of time," Payton said, via NBA.com. "It's super tough and I love being out there and helping my teammates," he continued.
"(The hamstring) is all right. I know that I'll be back and back better. I'll just hit the rehab like crazy and the treatment like crazy and I'll be back in no time," he added.
Payton averaged 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in two starts for the Magic this season.
He has already been ruled out for the game against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday, which means D.J. Augustin will continue to get the start at point guard. Shelvin Mack and Arron Afflalo should see a significant uptick in playing time as well with Payton on the shelf.
Meanwhile, starting power forward Aaron Gordon has been sitting on the sidelines since he injured his left ankle in their season-opening win against the Miami Heat, but he was finally back on the practice floor on Monday. Magic head coach Frank Vogel has confirmed that Gordon's expected to return to the lineup on Tuesday.
In his absence, the Magic have been starting rookie Jonathan Isaac at power forward, and Croatian wing Mario Hezonja has played a lot of minutes at the position as well.
