Ok @iHateShaun asked for it on his postgame tonight so gonna steal a page out of @benjy43's playbook. Here are CP3's p&r possessions in the 2nd & 3rd quarter, aka a complete juxtaposition in how to guard the p&r, a thread:

Weird one to start bc it comes in the mini-break. I won't kill Elf here for losing CP3 on the screen, but his reaction to the action is terrible. Noel cuts CP3 off & Elf just sorta lags behind aimlessly. The only reason Ayton looks contested is bc Craig makes a poor cut.

Ok this is more like it. Aimlessly fights around the screen (notice how the screener rarely even has to make contact on Elf? More on that later). Once again Noel is left to cut him off leaving Ayton alone. Elf just stands & watches. Holy shit this is awful. WTF is he pointing at?

Good lord. Zero effort at all. A minor jog and then he doesn't even bother to contest? Once again, more on that later, but Noel has to be frustrated here. Seriously Thibs better be fucking killing him for this during film review.

Good news: a miss! Bad news: more awful defense. CP3 makes a bad read here, had he waited just a second longer he woulda seen Julius covering for Elf on Ayton's roll, leaving Crowder WIDE open in the corner. Seriously look at Elf just lagging behind purposelessly again. Unreal.

Will finish this how I started, once again CP3 getting a step is not Elfs fault, but what the hell is he doing after? Taj clearly has CP3 cut off, what are you doing man? Who are you guarding? Taj even puts his hands up in disgust. BTW these were all like consecutive possessions.

We all know how the 1st quarter started, our offense was very stagnant. That's typical Elf-ball. But we salvaged & had 88 points near the end of the 3rd. Some will have you believe Elf deserves to be out there for his "great defense." He's almost as bad on that side of the ball.

Luckily, there is a guy on the New York Knicks roster who knows how to defend this action! Let's take a look, shall we?

Hey look, the screener *actually* made contact with the defender. Seriously look at Frank. First he stays with Kaminsky, something we know Payton never does, AND THEN he feels RJ and hands him off to him to go switch back onto CP3 & use his length to disrupt him in the corner. A+

Here Frank works around the screen, never giving up or giving CP3 a free path to the basket, and then after CP3 realizes Frank has recovered and Kaminsky has a step, Frank slides over and disrupts Kaminsky's drive to the basket.

Look at Frank anticipate the screen, bolt around it, and beat CP3 to his spot, and then use his body to disrupt his drive. Now imagine what would happen if #6 were in. Oh wait you don't have to.

Ok so here is a callback to one of Elf's worst defensive mishaps of the night. Remember when he refused to even try to contest, despite not getting touched by the screener? Look at Frank take a bump, work his ass off to get back in position, and still contest the shot well.

The Suns switch it up and try to run an out of bounds hand off into an Ayton screen for CP3. No matter, Frank will just beat Ayton to the spot and cut CP3 off, blowing the play up, and then use his length to disrupt Bridges' drive. The dude does it all defensively.

Most impressive here, aside from once again navigating a screen beautifully, is Frank not falling for one of CP3's patented plays and running into him giving him two FTs. Instead he (and Obi) force a reset that leads to an Obi block and breakaway dunk.

Tonight on his postgame, the awesome @JCMacriNBA said he's "done hearing about Frank." I do not know how you can watch a guy play this level of defense and have that opinion. He's been given zero opportunity to establish any offensive rhythm. I hope this thread opens some eyes.

Regardless, there is one clear conclusion to draw from this thread; Elfrid Payton is an abomination at basketball, & it makes absolutely zero sense why he has a seemingly endless amount of leeway with this team. He's awful on both ends, and doesn't even try. What is he offering?