The Warriors will be without wing Gary Payton II after he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb.
The Golden State Warriors have suffered another significant blow to their rotation. According to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania, top Dubs defensive stalwart Gary Payton II “will be out for an indefinite period” after suffering a torn ligament in his left thumb. Payton is in the middle of a resurgent season, often finding himself in closing lineups since the acquisition of Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline.
Payton is a dominant on-ball defender on the perimeter and an excellent slasher. Recently, Payton has flashed some more comfort as a primary ball handler and rekindling his three-point shot. While he’s averaging 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game (58 games) on .585/.330/.711 shooting this season, but he’s been particularly productive lately. In his last 16 games, Payton has recorded 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 50% shooting from three.
When healthy, Payton has been one of head coach Steve Kerr’s most trusted role players. Now, Kerr will have to lean on more inconsistent options. That could mean an opportunity for Gui Santos to rejoin the rotation or even a chance for recent signee Kevin Knox, but it will also likely push Kerr to give youngsters like Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga a longer leash in games where they struggle early.
For a Warriors team that lacks an array of scoring options, their path to a deep playoff run relies on Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler to carry the offense far enough to win with a dominant defense. That has propelled them to a 16-4 record since Butler was acquired, but that recipe is undeniably a lot harder without Gary Payton II. Golden State will need some other players to step up, who do you think is best suited to answer the call?