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For the last week or so, indications from the West Coast have been that Warriors guard Gary Payton II, who fractured his elbow in a nasty fall in the postseason’s second round, against the Grizzlies on May 3, would be back sometime in the NBA Finals. One Warriors source told Heavy.com Payton was likely back, “early on” in the championship round.
Now, it seems, Payton will be on the floor very early on—for Game 1 against the Celtics here on June 2, in fact. The Athletic is reporting that Payton is, “on track to dress and be available,” for the Warriors on Thursday.
It is a huge lift for the Warriors, who are also uncertain about the return of veteran wings Otto Porter Jr. (foot) and Andre Iguodala (back). Payton could be the most important of those three because of his ability to be a shutdown defender on the perimeter, a key for Golden State when it comes to dealing with the Boston duo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Payton Is ‘Ready to Go’
On Wednesday, Payton addressed reporters and said he was “ready to go,” but that he still needed approval from some on the Warriors’ medical staff before he was certain he would play.
“You know, trying to get there,” Payton said. “Trying to feel better every day, get better every day. But excited, ready to go. … Still got a couple boxes to check off. Still not quite there yet. But excited. Getting better every day. Still got a couple boxes to check off.”
Payton was the last guy the Warriors kept coming out of training camp, and did not have his contract fully guaranteed until January. But he has found an ample role with the Warriors and has earned major praise this season for his defensive ability, earning a career-high 17.6 minutes per game. He was not much of a scorer, but had some memorable dunks and played within himself offensively, averaging 7.1 points on 61.6% shooting.
Coach Steve Kerr said he expected Payton, as well as Porter and Iguodala, to be listed as “questionable” for Game 1.
‘Maniac’ Payton Will Boost Warriors Effort vs. Celtics Stars
The Warriors play a switch-heavy style of defense that often scrambles matchups from possession to possession, but having Payton available to pitch in on the Tatum-Brown combo will be invaluable for Kerr, who does not have a lot of options available for those two beyond Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins.
Tatum and Brown have combined to average 49.9 points per game in the playoffs.
“The Warriors need to throw bodies at the Celtics,” one Western Conference assistant coach told Heavy. “You can’t guard Tatum and Brown straight up, you have to bring a double once they get the ball on the floor. Miami had a lot of success with that. But you need the horses to do that and Payton is by far the best guy they can bring off the bench to play individual D and to play some help D, too. He goes out and guards like a maniac.”
Even before he actually takes the floor to help corral Tatum and Brown, though, Payton is happy just to have a crack at being in the NBA Finals. After six seasons as a journeyman in the league, this has been Payton’s first playoff experience.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “Like I said last, what, 29 years I’ve been watching them from home. It’s crazy just to be here and experiencing just this energy and this vibe. It’s unbelievable. I’m just trying to take it in and enjoy it.”
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