First Glimpse of Gary Payton II in Extended Minutes
I’ll be honest, I was a little apprehensive after the Warriors’ front office chose to forego signing Avery Bradley to the team’s 15th spot and went with Gary Payton II—even despite Payton’s better play in limited minutes during the pre-season. I was even more apprehensive after I learned that Draymond, Steph and Iguodala all pushed the Warriors’ front office to sign Bradley, and still the front office went in a different direction.
It’s true that GP2 was great in his limited role last season, but I wasn’t sure how effective he would be in what is obviously a more competitive 2021-22 campaign. Given Avery Bradley’s history, I thought he could overcome a rocky preseason and prove to be a huge addition this year. But, after watching GP2 play last night (and after watching Bradley throw up zeroes across the board in 20+ minutes of play), I have a feeling the Warriors’ front office might’ve been right all along.
GP2 was sensational last night against the Sacramento Kings. He was a +6 in 17 minutes and scored 10 points, going 4/6 from the field and 2/2 from three-point range. Plus, he did this all while playing stellar defense against the Kings’ guard-heavy lineup. One of his most notable plays came when he emphatically finished an alley-oop thrown by Steph Curry, who finished the night with 10 assists—his second 10-assist outing in three games.
Payton II was used to defend pretty much all of the Kings’ perimeter players, as he spent time guarding Mitchell, Fox, Haliburton, and Buddy Hield. Hitting 100% of his 3’s was an added, impressive bonus.
Even Steph was impressed, as he replied “One-thousand percent,” to a reporter asking if Gary Payton II’s terrific performance in the victory exhibited the value of having the team fill its 15th and final roster spot.
Steph then added, “Defensively he gives us an edge. And then he knocked down two 3s, which was huge. If he’s going to get open shots, he has to take them. We just want him to stay locked in, stay competitive and stay focused on when his moment comes and show he can do it.”
GP2 won’t always play 17 minutes a game, though, as was apparent in the first and second games of the Warriors’ season in which he combined for a total of 10 seconds of playing time. However, with Iguodala’s injury and Sacramento’s guard-heavy rotation, Payton II was ready to contribute. “I’ve been doing it for a while now, and it’s really my job to stay ready at all times,” Payton II said. “Just make sure I’m ready to do whatever I’ve got to do, to be ready as soon as I hear it’s ‘go time.’ I’ve been doing it for a while now, so It’s pretty much my job.”
Even though GP2 is a specialist in providing noticeable contributions in a small amount of time, the Warriors almost chose not to sign him this year. But to Steve Kerr’s delight, they did.
“It was an interesting time,” Kerr said. “It’s one of those things where Gary has been fighting for his spot in the league for years. If somebody had picked him up, I would have been happy for him, that somebody had claimed him and put him on their roster. But, selfishly, I wanted him for our roster. I’m just glad it worked out, because he gives us a dimension out there that really adds to our team.”
This is exactly why Curry and Draymond lobbied for the front office to fill that 15th spot. Yes, it’s yet another salary hit, but I’m betting Payton II’s defense and spark off the bench will prove to be extremely valuable throughout the season and into the playoffs. The Kings are certainly aware of his impact.
(Photo credit: Thearon W Henderson / Getty Images)