The past few NBA campaigns for Gary Payton II haven’t been very good. He has been prone to injuries, which have kept him out of action for very long periods. This season, he has already missed four games; one of those games was a 108-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Guard Gary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors will be sidelined indefinitely with a torn right calf injury as reported by Shams Charania.
He already had a bad fortune early on, as Payton missed more than a month of work before making a comeback in March. Payton had become one of the Dubs’ finest players on both ends of the court. He acted as a formidable defender, a superb rebounder, and a superb cutter. For that reason, his injury news is devastating for the Warriors fans.
Golden State Warriors G/F Gary Payton II has suffered a torn right calf and will be sidelined indefinitely, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/xId2giYdb1
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 29, 2023
With Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga perhaps playing more minutes than Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson. They are on the course together for a third straight season, the Warriors need more wings to raise their scoring averages. This season seems to be beyond repair for the Golden State Warriors if the current situation continues.
Veteran Chris Paul also departed in the game due to discomfort in his lower left leg. On Thursday, Golden State takes on the Clippers. The only positive news is that Draymond Green is back after serving a five-game suspension.
When will Gary Payton II come back?
The Warriors, who currently have an 8-10 record and are ranked 10th in the Western Conference, desperately need to avoid injuries if they are to return to their championship-winning form. Payton is a vital component of that mission, and his defensive prowess will be sorely missed while he is away. As the extent of the tear is unknown, we’ll have to wait for an update from the Warriors to find out Payton’s timetable.
He will most likely be absent for several weeks if not months. A calculated guess would say that he’ll require at least 2 weeks of treatment before his comeback on an NBA court. A similar injury to Kevin Durant informed us that lower-grade strains usually heal and recover more quickly than higher-grade strains. Although each player heals at a different rate, grade 1 strains usually take 1-2 weeks to heal, grade 2 strains take 2-4 weeks, and grade 3 strains take 4-6 weeks or more.
The absence of key players in the Warriors squad called for unexpected rotations in that game. Moses Moody was initially taken out of the starting lineup by Steve Kerr on Tuesday night against the Kings. But injuries to Chris Paul and Payton allowed Moody to return to the game.
He kept the Warriors in the game by scoring 11 of their first 12 points in the fourth quarter. Although it was condemned, Kerr substituted him out, but the statement was made. This season, Moody has performed admirably in practically every situation. He will have to continue if the Warriors want them to be seen as title contenders.