Looks like that 15th and final roster spot will be coming down to Avery Bradley or Gary Payton II. No disrespect to Mychal Mulder (or even Jordan Bell for that matter), but they’re not exactly what the Warriors are looking for out of that role as the last reserve. The Warriors need a leader at the guard position, an energetic voice for the end of the bench, someone who is always ready and can be called at any time. A player who controls the flow of the game and the offense. A grinder who can get down and dirty on the defensive side. Bradley and Payton II do that exactly (and then some).

GPII made his preseason debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday evening and “The Mitten” looked impressive in his limited 11 minutes played on the court. Payton II finished with a productive 12 points on 5-7 shooting from the field to go along with 1 board, 1 steal, and 1 block. Bradley had 5 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds in the 111-99 win against his former team from La La Land.

Gary Payton II was doing it all against the Lakers. He was slashing towards the rim, attacking the offensive glass with a purpose, even bothering LeBron on the defensive end. What really excites me about his play from last night was his loud dunks. Gary was moving well without the ball and finding easy, wide-open slams that seemed to drain the energy out of the crowd. That’s what you need out of a guy last on the bench. You put him in when the team is lacking energy and when no one else seems to be making some sort of impact.

I firmly believe that 15th roster spot should be filled by GPII with him being younger than Bradley and due to his defensive prowess, relentlessness when guarding the ball (no matter who is in front of him), ability to lead at point and attack the rim with force. True Golden State fans saw a lot of that out of him towards the end of last year’s season and during his NBA Summer League performances.

Avery Bradley is a veteran. He has the experience and the pedigree. Everyone remembers his special time with the Boston Celtics. But those days seem to be behind Avery. He hasn’t averaged at least 1 steal per game in the last three seasons. Not the defensive specialist that fans have gotten to know over the years.

Gary Payton II can bring a lot more to the table at the age of 28. He knows the Golden State personnel and the offense which gives him an edge over Bradley. Payton II still has a lot to prove in this league and the Warriors would be a perfect spot for him to continue to do exactly that.

With Klay Thompson out for (hopefully) just a small portion of the beginning of the season and Jordan Poole taking his place, GPII can step up and contribute immediately filling a reserve guard role, providing spot minutes for Stephen Curry or Poole, or filling in even more in the event of one of these players needing to miss some time. He’s ready for this massive moment to stay in this league and try to get a nice contract out of it.

Follow Arden Cravalho on Twitter @a_cravalho.