The Pelicans are 5-1 when Elfrid Payton plays and 4-6 when he doesn’t.
New Orleans will have to find a winning formula without its starting point guard.
It’s not that Payton is great, though he has been solid this season. It’s that the Pelicans are ill-equipped to deal with this injury.
Jrue Holiday can shift to point guard, but that weakens New Orleans even further on the wing. Without Payton, the Pelicans are also forced to give more playing time to substandard players at point guard: Ian Clark, Tim Frazier and Frank Jackson.
At least New Orleans can pivot its offense to run the ball through Anthony Davis and Julius Randle. Those skilled bigs can distribute.
The Pelicans are in the middle of a tight playoff race. They have little margin for error, and this injury cuts deeply into it.
