SUMMARY
- Gary Payton II recently returned to the court after missing the entire month of December 2023.
- The point guard injured his hamstring during the Warriors vs. Magic game on Tuesday.
It is quite unfortunate that Gary Payton II is struggling to keep himself away from injuries. This season, the guard has not had a great season in terms of staying healthy. Payton II has already missed multiple games due to a calf injury he sustained in late November. The guard was sidelined for the entirety of December but managed to make it in time for the final game of 2023.
But this hasn’t helped the Golden State Warriors at all. They rely on Payton II to come off the bench and anchor the team on offense and defense. So far, he has put up 5.4 points, 3 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 16 appearances. Unfortunately, the Warriors also had to deal with losing Draymond Green, who was suspended for his unruly attitude towards other players on the court. Green has been suspended indefinitely and the NBA hasn’t issued a return timetable for the veteran.
Besides this, the Warriors’ core has also experienced a major hit in contribution. Klay Thompson is experiencing one of his worst stints since being drafted. Additionally, Andrew Wiggins hasn’t been a dominant force on defense as much as he used to be over the last two seasons. Thus leaving Stephen Curry to rely on players like Gary Payton II, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski.
Gary Payton II will remain out for several weeks
The Warriors had their first game of the new year against the Orlando Magic on January 2nd. GSW surprisingly pulled off an incredible win against the Magic, a team that has been quite dominant this season. While Curry led the pack offensively scoring 36 points, six other Warriors players scored in double-digits. Defensively, this was probably one of the better games without Green.
However, Gary Payton II was injured after 11 minutes of playing. He tripped on his foot and wound up pulling his hamstring. Payton II was on the floor for a while before exiting the scene. Shams Charania of The Athletic recently announced that the Warriors have decided to sideline him for the time being. He is expected to miss several weeks in hopes that he will return healthy for the second half of the season.
Warriors G/F Gary Payton II will miss several weeks due to a left hamstring strain, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Tough blow for Golden State and Payton, who just returned over the weekend after missing one month with calf injury. pic.twitter.com/KsRpbtgfvA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 3, 2024
Gary Payton II is the most injury-prone player on the Warriors roster. However, when he is healthy, the guard has been an unstoppable support on defense. The Warriors rely on players like him especially since their players are offensively rooted. Either way, the Warriors managed to win the game.