Getty Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II celebrates during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It’s official — Draymond Green will be back in the lineup for the Golden State Warriors on Monday night when they play host to the Washington Wizards. And given the multitude of ways the team has been out of whack since he went down with a disc injury, his return couldn’t have come sooner.
That said, the Warriors need a handful of other returns to occur before they can call themselves whole once again. Notably, Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala and Gary Payton II continue to be sidelined with injuries.
While all three players have been missed, Payton’s absence has arguably been the biggest blow of the bunch. In addition to thrilling fans with his dazzling dunks and lockdown D, the breakout guard has consistently been one of Golden State’s most impactful players.
For the year, his net rating checks in at 9.3 — the No. 4 mark on the team behind Stephen Curry, Iguodala and Green.
With that being the case, inquiring minds want to know — when will Payton be back on the hardwood? Recently, the baller answered that question as best he could.
Payton Hopes to Be Back ‘Soon,’ But There’s Clearly Work Left to Do
Over the weekend, Payton — who’s averaging 7.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game this season — sat down with KRON4’s Jason Dumas to discuss a myriad of topics.
When asked about the status of his left knee and the timeline for his return, the 29-year-old had this to say:
“It’s day by day. Trying to just take it day by day and progress every day and try to work up to three-on-three and get back to moving up and down. But it’s day by day…” Payton said. “Hopefully, I’ll be back soon.”
The guard-forward last appeared on the court for the Dubs in a March 3 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Head coach Steve Kerr indicated that he “took a shot” to the knee during the game but, luckily, Payton’s MRI came back clean. So, it would seem that his injury isn’t serious.
That said, if he’s still not able to participate in three-on-three, the journeyman’s return may not come as “soon” as he or fans hope.
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Payton Reveals the Warrior With the Best Collection of Kicks
To close out the interview, Dumas asked Payton to name the Warriors player with the best sneaker collection. The hooper’s answer was a surprising one.
“There’s a few of us. Like you said, Jordan [Poole]. Juan [Toscano-Anderson] got heat; he be on the chill side but he got heat. Jonathan [Kuminga] is starting to get his collection going. But probably the most — who’s a sleeper — is probably Otto [Porter].”
Although Porter has always been the kind of player who prefers to let his game do the talking for him, Payton says that he’s amassed an impressive collection of rare and unreleased kicks.
“Otto doesn’t show… he doesn’t bring it on the court like that, but Otto has the rarest of rares… but he keeps it real calm and humble. Otto’s up there with us for sure.”
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