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Elfrid Payton · In sharing stories from his first run through the Association during a 2021 podcast, Elfrid Payton took particular interest in explaining how difficult it can be to “play a role” on infinitely-talented NBA teams. Suffice to say, on November 25, 2024 — one week into his return after a two-year hiatus — no role, nor pick-and-roll proved too challenging to overcome against the Indiana Pacers. Presented the opportunity to give the injury-ravaged New Orleans Pelicans a jolt, Elfrid Payton constructs an electrifying performance, headliner among them being a late-game pick-and-roll that invites two different blue jerseys into his airspace. All-seeing in his vision throughout, Payton calmly slices a dime through Indiana’s hedging defense, positioning his rim-running big for an unguarded flush. Illustrating the NBA’s depth and bottomless talent pool once more, Payton turned his 31-minute cameo into a historic demonstration, recording 14 points (on 7-of-11 shooting), seven rebounds, 21 assists (2024-25’s current season-high), and two steals in defeat. · State of Mint