Orlando Magic Guard Elfrid Payton Continues to Make Progress in His Recovery, Still Not Cleared to Return
Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton would have loved to play in front of his family and friends on Monday when they took on the New Orleans Pelicans, but the Louisiana native still hasn't been cleared to return to action.
The good news is that he has been making some progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain and he's hoping to return to the lineup soon.
"I'm making a little progress, but I'm trying not to push myself too hard because hamstrings are a little tricky," Payton said, via NBA.com. "Every day these last two or three days we've trying to get after it a little bit and test my limits without re-injuring it," he continued.
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"Being an athlete all we know is pushing ourselves while trying to get into shape and get to another level. But now I'm trying to push myself without re-injuring it. It's a fine line and I'm trying not to toe it, but I want to get back," he added.
The Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins has reported that Payton has been increasing his running speed in practice while he continues to work his way back from the hamstring injury, but he is not expected to play when the Magic take on the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, per NBA.com.
The fourth-year guard has missed the last five games. Payton suffered the injury in the second quarter of the Magic's game against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 20, and he was diagnosed with a mild to moderate hamstring strain after he underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the next day.
Payton is averaging 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 6.5 assists in two games this season.
With Payton sidelined, D.J. Augustin has been getting the start at point guard. The 10th-year pro did quite well in his first couple of games as a fill-in starter, but he has struggled in the last three games.
