Healthy GP2 leaves Ferrari in garage ready to unleash Lamborghini originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – He’s fast, stylish and always ready to step up to the plate and compete against the best of the best. Gary Payton II has all the hallmarks of a flashy red Ferrari.
Last season, Payton made it a goal to keep the Ferrari in the garage and unleash a Lamborghini.
“He’s got an unbelievable engine, but he’s in the shop quite a bit,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after practice on Friday. “He told me this year that he wanted to be a Lamborghini because I don’t think they’re in stores that often.”
“Ferrari needs too much maintenance, so I switched to a Lambo,” Payton later explained.
Between the Portland Trail Blazers and Warriors, Payton was limited to just 22 games in the 2022-23 NBA season, and played just 44 games last season due to injuries. Payton had an injury-free offseason, playing in the Warriors’ first 27 games this season.
But Payton has only appeared in two of the Warriors’ last 13 games. Payton missed the Warriors’ loss to the Indiana Pacers on December 23 due to a calf problem he suffered in the previous game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He returned for their Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers, but played six and a half minutes before missing the next ten games due to that same calf problem.
His return Thursday couldn’t have been better timing. When he gets the chance, Kerr releases Payton to attack the other team’s leading scorer. In the Warriors’ most recent matchup, this meant Payton had to face 23-year-old Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards.
There was no other player who guarded Payton more this season. Entering the day, Payton Edwards had defended 14 minutes, 27 seconds, with the former No. 1 overall draft pick scoring 11 points on 5 of 10 shooting. Edwards scored 28 points in a one-point Warriors victory, but Payton earned his paycheck after his direct opponent’s every move.
Only two of those 28 points came with Payton on Edwards, and both were actually at the free throw line. Edwards was credited with two shot attempts, defended by Payton. He missed both and had no assists, but did turn the ball over once.
Saturday offers Payton another chance to compete against a top scorer, and this time it will be against his good friend and former Warriors teammate Jordan Poole when the Washington Wizards come to Chase Center.
“Two completely different players, different styles,” Payton said of Edwards and Poole. “Ant hunts them, Jordan hunts them too. They just hunt differently, but they’re both still killers. Ant can walk around freely for six months, but he knows he will be hit if he sees me. He knows. Jordan knows it too. But Ant’s mentality is that he is always in attack mode. Always wants to get it done, always wants to be aggressive.
“Jordan too, but like I said, two completely different animals. I try not to let them get as much touching as I normally would on other nights. … That brings out the best in both of them because they are good at what they do: putting the ball in the basket.”
Payton and Edwards have a friendly relationship both on and off the field. It just doesn’t compare to Payton and Poole.
During Poole’s time with the Warriors, the two became extremely close. Last season they even traveled together, making their on-field match even more of a must-see TV show.
“It’s all love at the end of the day, but damn, we’re probably going to talk for sure,” Payton said. “Jordan knows what I like to do. And I was with Jordan all summer, so he knows what I like to do and I know what he’s been working on. It’s time to see what’s right. He already knows.
“Tomorrow it will be fun for us again.”
The fun won’t last long for the Warriors if Payton is sidelined again soon. This season they are 16-13 with him, and 4-7 without.
On a team with two of the most unique stars of all time in Steph Curry and Draymond Green, Payton has skills that few have ever had. At 6-foot-4, Payton should be fast enough and smart enough to slide and sprint with the best basketball players in bunch scoring, using his 6-foot wingspan as a weapon that’s nearly impossible to dodge is. Offensively, he sneaks behind the defense, uses his immense athleticism and throws down from the dunker spot.
When Payton played 71 regular season games in the 2021-22 regular season, his impact was felt every time Kerr called his number. When he had a 95.0 defensive rating for the champion Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, his ability to change the game was far from secret.
“This guy is an elite, elite defensive player,” Kerr said. “I always think back to the Boston series in ’22. He misses the first game, we lose. If he comes back, we’ll win four of the next five. His defense played a big role in that. Gary was an integral part of guarding the best players in the world – Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown. We know he is a crucial part of our success as a team.”
The Warriors don’t want to waste Payton’s minutes. If they want to keep him out of the store and show off his best qualities, it has to be strategic. That means short bursts against the best players. Not a marathon but a sprint to keep a Lamborghini for the long term.
What color would that hypothetical Lamborghini be? Are we talking about tinted windows, a leather interior, shiny rims and a souped-up engine to reach top speed whenever it wants?
“That’s a good question,” Payton says. “If I have one, I’ll let you know.”
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