Joining the Suns after the 19-20 season resumption, cameron Payne, a 15-year lotto show, has finally regained a foothold in the NBA. His career debuted in the Thunder, the most impressive at the beginning was the title of "Wei Shao Dance Partner", but in fact, in addition to the dance skills, Payne's ball skills are also quite good, but because of the lack of opportunities, so that he has successively turned to the Thunder, Bulls, and Cavaliers in the first few years of his career, he has not been reused, and even once ran to the CBA Shanxi men's basketball team to beg for a living. But after only 2 games there, Payne resolutely chose to return to the United States, preferring to start with the development league rather than return to the CBA.
Coinciding with the Suns' resumption in Orlando, when several of the main players refused to play, the team set its sights on the backcourt player. He also successfully seized the opportunity of these 8 games, averaging 10.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3 assists per game, helping the team achieve a record of all wins. After that, Payne also got a contract extension from the Suns, because the Suns coach Monty Williams, who had served as an assistant coach for the Thunder on The Mann's mother team, also knew that this young man really had the strength, and simply began to boldly use him to make him the main rotation of the team.
It turns out that Williams did not look away, sitting on the sun as a substitute for the sixth man Payne, in the last season the team was able to reach the Finals, played a big role, especially in the first round of Paul against the Lakers missed the game, he has a good play, and even had a single 20+ performance.
The Suns kept him on the team for a three-year, $19 million price in the offseason, and Payne, who was able to stay on the team, did not disappoint the management. Although he suffered from a hamstring injury at the beginning of the season, he was able to get rid of the injury and return to the field, and quickly regained the excellent state of last season, and in the game against the Kings on November 9, Payne cut the season's best 24 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. In the following matches, he was basically able to maintain a double-figure performance.
As of now, Payne, as the team's backup guard, can deliver 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists in only 17.5 minutes of playing time, as Paul's chief substitute, Payne is really important for this Sun. Not only can it help the veteran point guard free up more rest time, but also use his own scoring and organization to help Booker share some pressure. In the Suns' 118-97 victory over the Knicks, Payne played 17 minutes off the bench, shooting 5-of-11, scoring a bench-high 13 points and six assists, and the plus-minus of +14 was also proud of the entire bench.
As of now, the Suns have achieved a good result of 16 wins and 3 losses, in fact, after the last game against the Cavaliers, they have created the best record in the team's first 18 games, and can continue to show their super competitiveness this season, the Suns have also used practical actions to prove that they can reach the Finals last season is not a fluke, in the case of several cores are still in the team, if the team wants to return to the Finals stage, green leaf players like Payne are indeed indispensable!
(Luo Treasurer)