<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-brandin-podziemski-identifies-gary-payton-iis-twin-brother-on-roster');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski identifies Gary Payton II’s ‘twin brother’ on roster');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Warriors-news-Brandin-Podziemski-identifies-Gary-Payton-II-twin-brother-on-roster.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski identifies Gary Payton II’s ‘twin brother’ on roster</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-02T21:09:56-07:00">October 2nd, 9:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-02T21:09:56-07:00">October 2nd, 9:09pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors, in the aftermath of franchise legend Klay Thompson’s departure in free agency, decided to return to their “Strength in Numbers” ethos. They signed multiple key pieces in De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield, and Kyle Anderson as they look towards filling the void Thompson left as a collective. Brandin Podziemski, in particular, appears <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-brandin-podziemski-details-new-energy-before-training-camp">headed for a breakout sophomore season</a> considering the huge role he’s about to play for the Dubs.</p><p>But again, Podziemski is not about to do it by his lonesome. He will get plenty of help from the Warriors’ impressive guard depth, and they appear to be getting back to their stifling perimeter defense roots. The Dubs already had one of the best guard defenders in basketball in Gary Payton II, but then they added Melton — a pairing that Podziemski <a href="https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1841646426092446053" rel="noopener">has been impressed with</a> at the start of training camp.</p><p>“[Melton’s defense has] been good. Feel like he could be twin brothers with Gary. They both kinda look the same. Both love defense,” Podziemski told reporters during training camp, via 95.7 The Game on X (formerly known as Twitter).</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">“It’s been good. Feel like he could be twin brothers with Gary.”</p><p>Podz on what he’s seen from Melton defensively <a href="https://t.co/Jy8uinjjCR">pic.twitter.com/Jy8uinjjCR</a></p><p>— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) <a href="https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1841646426092446053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Something has to be said for the Warriors employing an iron sharpens iron approach. Podziemski said that he is having to expand his game while being covered by stifling defenders in Melton and Payton, which could only be good thing for the Dubs moving forward.</p><p>“So for me, being able to go against that and vice versa, me playing defense against them, has been great. I think the better they are defensively now, the better it makes guys like me and [Stephen Curry] during the regular season,” Podziemski added.</p><p>The best part about the Warriors’ backcourt depth is that there seems to be no skillset overlap among their players. Everyone can make each other better at certain areas, and head coach Steve Kerr will have the luxury to mix and match depending on matchups. The Dubs already seem to be reaping the rewards of training camp.</p><h2><b>Stephen Curry and Brandin Podziemski lead the Warriors’ stacked backcourt</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Warriors-guard-Brandin-Podziemski_b08c7f.jpg"></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-stephen-curry-warriors-believe-relevancy-klay-thompson-loss">Warriors’ title-winning teams</a> have always boasted quality depth, but over the past few seasons, they have been stretched thin, thanks in large part to the considerable financial investment they had in their core pieces. But with Klay Thompson gone, it freed up the opportunity for the Dubs to load up once again. They have as many as 12 players who can be viable rotation players for them next season.</p><p>Steve Kerr has always prioritized skill and system fit over size, which means that the Warriors’ backcourt will once again be looked at as a major source of production for the team. Stephen Curry showed during the 2024 Paris Olympics that he has plenty of gas left in the tank, while Brandin Podziemski, on the back of an impressive rookie season, seems to have all the runway in the world for a breakout campaign.</p><p>But behind Curry and Podziemski, the Warriors have an embarrassment of riches. Podziemski already alluded to the twin brotherhood of De’Anthony Melton and Gary Payton II; Melton provides more shooting and ballhandling than Payton does, but Payton is a better finisher and cutter. Buddy Hield is also around to provide some top-tier spacing, while Moses Moody could also provide some solid minutes for the team at the two if more size is needed.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Brandin Podziemski identifies Gary Payton II’s ‘twin brother’ on roster

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-news-gary-payton-lands-college-basketball-coaching-job');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gary Payton lands college basketball coaching job');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NBA-news-Gary-Payton-lands-college-basketball-coaching-job.jpg"></figure><h1>Gary Payton lands college basketball coaching job</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-09-07T19:27:57-07:00">September 7th, 7:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-09-07T19:27:57-07:00">September 7th, 7:27pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Basketball Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton Sr. found his <a href="https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/41166128/sources-gary-payton-sr-new-basketball-coach-college-alameda">second collegiate basketball coaching job</a> on Saturday. He will be the men’s basketball head coach at the College of Alameda in Alameda, California, according to ESPN. Payton will make his debut after being the head coach at the NAIA school, Lincoln University in Oakland, California for the past three seasons.</p><p>College of Alameda athletic director Ramaundo Vaughn talked about why Payton is the right fit for his program.</p><p>“Gary Payton is the right choice for the College Of Alameda for a number of reasons,” Vaughn said. “Gary has always been a leader and winner. We know that Coach Payton will hold our athletes accountable on the court, in the classroom, and in the community.</p><p>“During the interview process, he spoke about having our student-athletes in the community, giving back. The energy and passion that he brings along with his genuine love for the East Bay is unmatched. The opportunity for our players to learn from one of the all-time NBA greats and an Olympic gold medalist is one that we knew we could not afford to pass up.”</p><h2><b>What can NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton bring to the College of Alameda?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gary-Payton-takes-over-as-College-of-Alameda-mens-basketball-coach.jpg"><figcaption>© Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Payton has more head coaching experience than one might think. When Ice Cube’s basketball league, the Big 3 formed, Payton became the head coach of the 3 Headed Monsters. He then coached another team, Bivouac for the 2023 season.</p><p>Payton has a resume unlike any other player in his position. The former Seattle Supersonics point guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/25-greatest-point-guards-nba-history-ranked">garnered his nickname “The Glove” for a reason</a>. He ended up as the first-ever point guard to win Defensive Player of the Year in 1996. His defensive tenacity and aggressive style led him to be a menace on the court.</p><p>Stories of Payton’s trash talk circulate all around the NBA. Former teammates Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal know what it’s like. People within the Big 3 know how Payton can start chirping. Even Payton’s own <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-gary-payton-ii-on-his-dad-trash-talking-him-as-a-kid">son knows all about his father’s trash talk</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Uncensored all-access footage showing how heated BIG3 games get with Gary Payton talking trash and coaching his team to a victory! <a href="https://t.co/eisOvb0I9w">pic.twitter.com/eisOvb0I9w</a></p><p>— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1818393540965110221?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Still, it’s much more than Payton’s competitiveness that stands out as a coach. His IQ, pace of play and ability to break down a defense were mesmerizing, Even Hall-of-Famer Kevin Garnett <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2woYY7zzYEE&amp;embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.clutchpoints.com%2F&amp;source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ" rel="noopener">mentioned a story</a> on the All The Smoke podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson about Payton controlling the entire game.</p><p>As Garnett mentioned, Payton trash-talked to get advantages for his team. Although Payton might not be able to talk trash as much as head coach, he can still influence the game. He knows how to manipulate calls, run an offense and play a role effectively, something that the players of the College of Alameda would benefit from tremendously.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gary Payton lands college basketball coaching job

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-major-contract-decision-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Gary Payton II makes $9.1 million contract decision before free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Warriors-news-Gary-Payton-II-makes-9.1-million-contract-decision-before-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Gary Payton II makes $9.1 million contract decision before free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-06-19T09:19:36-07:00">June 19th, 9:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-06-19T09:38:59-07:00">June 19th, 9:38am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Although there was some talk that he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-open-warriors-return-but-theres-a-catch">could opt out of his contract</a> in order to restructure his current deal, Gary Payton II had decided to <a href="https://x.com/kendra__andrews/status/1803459134630797630" rel="noopener">opt into</a> his $9.1 million player option to remain with the Golden State Warriors for the 2024-25 season, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">🚨 Gary Payton II is opting in to his $9.1 million player option to return to the Warriors next season, per <a href="https://twitter.com/kendra__andrews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@kendra__andrews</a>. <a href="https://t.co/R01gbtE5lW">pic.twitter.com/R01gbtE5lW</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints NBA (@ClutchPointsNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPointsNBA/status/1803460389755068820?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 19, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Payton, whom the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-trade-grades-after-sending-away-james-wiseman-bringing-back-gary-payton-ii">Warriors re-acquired</a> during the 2022-23 season after letting him go in free agency, has proven to be an essential part of the Warriors’ success defensively. By opting into his contract with the Warriors, Payton will now be able to agree to terms on a new deal with the organization during the offseason to ensure his long-term status.</p><p>However, Golden State’s payroll continues to rise with this decision by Payton. Already projected to be a second apron tax team, the Warriors will face some difficult decisions pertaining to the rest of their roster. In addition to the Warriors having to decide on keeping or releasing Chris Paul and Kevon Looney, they will also face the scenario of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-could-klay-thompsons-role-impacting-warriors-contract-dispute">Klay Thompson being an unrestricted free agent</a> this offseason.</p><p>Money was set to become a major factor for the Warriors at some point during their championship run, and it seems like everything is beginning to catch up to them ahead of the 2024-25 season. The good news is that Payton, a fan favorite and vocal leader for this team, isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.</p><p>This past season, Payton played in only 44 games for the Warriors due to multiple injuries. The 31-year-old averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in roughly 15.5 minutes per game while shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range.</p><p>The Warriors have utilized Payton as a 3-and-D player who can virtually fill any position on the court. The value and energy he brings defensively can’t be replaced, which is why the Warriors decided to bring Payton back during the 2022-23 season after initially letting him sign a deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>The problem with Payton opting into his contract is that the Warriors now have their backs up against the wall in terms of choosing who they are going to have to let go of.</p><h2><b>How Gary Payton II’s contract impacts Warriors’ offseason plans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Klay-Thompson-and-Gary-Payton-II-leave-the-court.jpg"><figcaption>Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>The Warriors are not in a good position entering the offseason. Not only did they miss the playoffs, but they were going to be faced with financial problems regardless of whether Payton opted into or out of his contract. In the event that Payton had decided to opt out and become a free agent, the Warriors’ payroll situation would have become a lot clearer, especially as they look to keep Klay Thompson.</p><p>However, now that he has opted in, the team’s payroll sits at roughly $174 million, just about $15 million under the second apron. If they were to <a href="https://x.com/YossiGozlan/status/1803459682574671939">waive Paul and Looney</a>, then Golden State would be about $32 million below the $171.3 million luxury tax line entering free agency, according to NBA capologist Yossi Gozlan. Essentially, this would give them the money needed to retain Thompson.</p><p>Aside from what is to happen with Looney, Paul, and Thompson, there are also questions about what Payton opting into his contract actually means. Will he finish out this deal and sign a new one with the Warriors, or could Payton’s moderately-sized contract be utilized in a trade for the Warriors to add an immediate upgrade in search of another title?</p><p>All options are on the table for the Warriors as they approach the 2024 NBA Draft and free agency. This is a critical offseason for them.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Gary Payton II makes $9.1 million contract decision before free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/grizzlies-news-wild-gary-payton-hubie-brown-confrontation-recalled-shane-battier');   ga('set', 'title', 'Wild Gary Payton, Hubie Brown confrontation recalled by Shane Battier');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/What-famous-bald-NBA-players-looked3.jpg"></figure><h1>Wild Gary Payton, Hubie Brown confrontation recalled by Shane Battier</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-05-22T10:00:00-07:00">May 22nd, 10:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-05-22T10:00:00-07:00">May 22nd, 10:00am</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and the University of Southern California and is now serving as an Associate Editor and Chicago Bulls beat writer at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Hubie Brown is 90 years old, and he is now a basketball commentator for ESPN. However, before his broadcasting days, Brown was a head coach in the NBA. His most recent job in the NBA was with the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-2004. One player that was on the Grizzlies during that time is Shane Battier, and he recently recalled a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/duke-basketball-news-shane-battier-eye-opening-tom-izzo-reason-choosing-blue-devils-over-michigan-state">bizarre story regarding Brown</a> and Gary Payton that happened at a Los Angeles Lakers-<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-grizzlies-consider-no-9-pick-trade-ja-morant-returns">Grizzlies game back when</a> Brown was the head coach of Memphis.</p><p>The Lakers and the Grizzlies were battling things out on the court, but the game wasn’t very close. However, tensions were high because of a feud that was going on between Gary Payton and Hubie Brown. Shane Battier recently appeared on The OG’s Podcast W/ Udonis Haslem &amp; Mike Miller, and here is how the situation was described.</p><p>Shane Battier: “So <a href="https://youtu.be/Oiidg7B7wNo?t=2629" rel="noopener">we’re playing them in</a> Staples, and the Lakers are rolling, they got GP (Gary Payton), they got Karl Malone, they’re rolling, and you know we’re the Grizzlies and they kick our a*s. So Earl Watson, our guard, had a relationship with Gary from his time in Seattle, so GP’s just talking, talking, talking to Earl, and they’re kicking our a*s. During the game Hubie (Brown) says ‘Hey, don’t talk to my player like that.'”</p><p>Mike Miller: “He actually says too all the time, ‘Hey GP, ‘Why don’t you shut the f—k up Jack.'”</p><p>Shane Battier: “True story.”</p><p>Mike Miller: “And I’m kind of standing there, and GP looks at me saying, ‘I guess I got to shut the f**k up dawg’ like I don’t know what to tell you, I’m not going to say nothing about you.”</p><p>Shane Battier: “So GP and him (Hubie Brown) go toe to toe during the game, I’ve never seen a coach and a player go toe to toe during a game. So everyone steps in, technical fouls, and GP’s like ‘I’ll see you after the game old man.'”</p><p>Shane Battier: “We’re on the bus and sure enough GP’s waiting for Hubie at the bus. GP confronts him, face to face…”</p><p>Mike Miller: “Hubie says one of the most gangster things I’ve ever heard by the way at this time.”</p><p>Shane Battier: “So they’re face to face and GP says ‘You’re not so tough now old man are you.’ Hubie grabs his shirt like this.”</p><p>Mike Miller: “I’m telling Shaq, ‘Shaq come here…'”</p><p>Shane Battier: “And Hubie says, ‘I hope you brought a lunch pale Jack, it’s going to be a long day'”</p><p>Mike Miller: “After that happens, then Hubie walks up on the bus, he addresses the team and says ‘You see that s**t Jack, don’t back down from nobody Jack, unless they got a gun or knife.'”</p><p>That’s quite the bizarre story. Hubie Brown wasn’t backing down back then. Brown had a long coaching career, and it is impressive to see him still in the broadcasting game now even though he is 90. He is clearly a resilient guy that has no trouble facing some adversity.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wild Gary Payton, Hubie Brown confrontation recalled by Shane Battier

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-open-warriors-return-but-theres-a-catch');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gary Payton II open to Warriors return, but there’s a catch');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/7305417391-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Gary Payton II open to Warriors return, but there’s a catch</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-17T12:46:01-07:00">April 17th, 12:46pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-17T20:49:18-07:00">April 17th, 8:49pm</time><address><a>Christopher Smith</a>Christopher Smith is an Associate Editor for ClutchPoints. The Aurora, Illinois native earned a degree in philosophy from Creighton University, where he also competed as a Division 1 Cross Country runner. Smith has previously written for FanSided and Last Word on Sports, and his primary interests lie within the NBA and distance running.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors are coming off a tough 118-94 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-drops-emotional-truth-bomb-on-possible-end-of-big-3">NBA Play-In Tournament loss</a> to the Sacramento Kings. Questions about many players’ futures on the team arose after the defeat. Nevertheless, Gary Payton II has taken a decisive stance about his contract with Golden State ahead of the NBA free agency period.</p><p>Payton wants to return to the Warriors, but the catch is he has a player option for the next season and is willing to renegotiate his contract to free up money for the team.</p><p>“I would <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcJSpears/status/1780654137446953346">love to come back</a> and run it back. Better yet, just redo my whole deal and stay here for a little bit longer. We’ll figure it out,” Payton said, per Marc J. Spears.</p><p>Payton finished his fourth season with Golden State in 2023-24. He averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and shot 36.4% on three-pointers in 44 games. A season prior, Payton only played seven games with the Warriors due to a torn calf injury. He had just come off a 15-game stint with the Portland Trail Blazers.</p><p>Payton’s stats may not be eye-popping, but he is a significant presence for Golden State. After joining the team during the 2020-21 season, Payton made an impeccable impact the following year. He amassed a career-high 7.1 points and 1.4 steals in 71 games. More importantly, he helped the Warriors win their fourth NBA championship during the summer of 2022.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how the Warriors handle Gary Payton II’s contract ahead of many pivotal off-season decisions. Most notably, Klay Thompson’s NBA free agency decision will partially determine how the franchise proceeds with its stars.</p><p>Thompson will be an unrestricted free agent, as his $43.2 million contract is expiring. Like Payton, Thompson has expressed a desire to stay with Golden State, but is keeping him on the roster best for the team?</p><h2><b>Warriors contemplate big decisions after disappointing postseason exit</b></h2><p>Thompson has the support of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-stephen-curry-drops-emotional-truth-bomb-on-possible-end-of-big-3">Golden State’s franchise player</a>. After Tuesday night’s loss to the Kings, Stephen Curry admired the way Thompson handled the season, despite his poor zero-point performance.</p><p>“Everybody’s gonna talk about one game and I know he wanted to play better, but we go through so much over 82 games, and the fact that he was able to turn his season around with a new role, adjusting to coming off the bench for a long period and then back in the starting lineup, really just having fun playing basketball and being at peace out there,” Curry said, per ClutchPoints’ Jack Winter.</p><p>“I’m more worried about that because I know he’s a true champion, and we all prepare ourselves to play our best when the lights are bright. When it doesn’t happen, nobody needs to tell you anything. Because all we wanna do is win. Numbers aside, that’s the only thing that matters,” Curry added.</p><p>Klay Thompson’s slump extends past his Play-In performance against the Kings. The 34-year-old put up 17.9 points per game and shot 38.7% on threes in 2023-24, both of which were below his career averages.</p><p>Nevertheless, Curry is not concerned with Thompson’s dip in production. As long as Thompson plays his role and helps the team win Curry is satisfied.</p><p>All in all, it will be interesting to see how Golden State handles its crucial contracts going into the 2024 NBA free agency period.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gary Payton II open to Warriors return, but there’s a catch

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-miss-play-in-tournament-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Gary Payton II to miss play-in tournament due to injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Gary-Payton-II-to-miss-play-in-tournament-due-to-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Gary Payton II to miss play-in tournament due to injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-04-15T14:20:55-07:00">April 15th, 2:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-04-15T14:21:51-07:00">April 15th, 2:21pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors (46-36) were forced to navigate a number of potholes during the regular season, and there will unfortunately be more for them to sidestep in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Gary Payton II has been <a href="https://twitter.com/kendra__andrews/status/1779948915082822111" rel="noopener">ruled out</a> for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-draymond-green-adds-fuel-kings-rivalry-before-play-game">Tuesday night’s matchup</a> with the Sacramento Kings and the potential Wednesday game as well, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.</p><p>The key bench piece is dealing with a calf injury and has been sidelined since April 9. He has played in only 44 games this season, as health continues to be a big issue during his career. Payton’s defense, athleticism and high motor have garnered him respect within the organization and fandom, so this development is undeniably a downer.</p><p>Obviously, the timing of the situation only accentuates this bad news. The Warriors enter this must-win showdown with the Kings as the far hotter team, after prevailing in 10 of their last 12 contests. Sacramento is limping into the Play-In but does have the luxury of playing in front of its home crowd.</p><p>This injury can also swing some momentum in the team’s favor. Although Payton averages just 15.5 minutes per game, his productivity (5.5 points on 56.3 percent shooting with nearly one steal per night) and intangibles make him a valuable member of the second unit.</p><p>And fans know how important <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-reminds-nba-trayce-jackson-davis-warning-theyre-regretting-it">the supporting cast</a> is to this team’s chances for postseason success. The NBA Play-In Tournament is supposed to offer Golden State a clean slate, but with opening tip-off still more than 24 hours way, its back already seems to be against the wall.</p><h2><b>Warriors must continue to dig deep with playoff hopes on the line</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Steph-Curry-Draymond-Green-are-dialed-in.jpg"><figcaption>Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Many basketball fans counted out the Dubs in the first half of the season. Draymond Green’s suspensions, Klay Thompson’s struggles and an unforgiving Western Conference all portended the official fall of this empire. Golden State might still finish the campaign in ruins, but it has restored fans’ faith.</p><p>Since the calendar flipped to 2024, few teams have been better than the Warriors (31-19). They have not lost more than two-straight games in that span and do not have a double-digit defeat since March 22. When operating at full strength, Steve Kerr’s squad is lethal.</p><p>But all it takes to derail their momentum and abruptly send them home is one slip-up. The absence of Gary Payton II can make more of a difference than a neutral fan might think. He is an energizer, and that can be crucial for a team that ventures into hostile territory. Though, Golden State has no qualms about competing in the Golden 1 Center.</p><p>The Warriors poured cold water over the Kings’ stellar 2022-23 regular season, defeating them on the road in Game 7 of the opening round of the playoffs. Unless they plunge another dagger into Sacramento, their fan base will be forced to endure its own form of misery this offseason.</p><p>It is unclear if Payton will be able to rejoin Golden State for the start of the postseason if the team survives the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steve-kerr-confident-message-play-in-vs-kings">NBA Play-In Tournament</a>. He will be fidgeting with the rest of Dubs Nation when tip-off commences at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Gary Payton II to miss play-in tournament due to injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-reminds-nba-trayce-jackson-davis-warning-theyre-regretting-it');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Gary Payton II reminds NBA of Trayce Jackson-Davis’ warning — ‘They’re regretting it’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-reminds-nba-of-trayce-jackson-davis-warning-theyre-regretting-it.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Gary Payton II reminds NBA of Trayce Jackson-Davis’ warning — ‘They’re regretting it’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-03-06T23:19:29-08:00">March 6th, 11:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-03-06T23:21:36-08:00">March 6th, 11:21pm</time><address><a>Jay Postrado</a>Jay is a lifelong motorsports and tennis fan. His need for speed may no longer be on the grid or courts but has stayed with him through writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Trayce Jackson-Davis was not at all a slouch back when he ravaged the Big Ten Conference with the Indiana Hoosiers. He was always a threat to everyone in college basketball. So, it came as a shock to him and to many that he fell a lot in the 2023 NBA Draft. Now, he has kept that chip intact on his shoulder and even had an insane game against the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks. This awesome performance turned the head of Gary Payton II.</p><p>When asked about a certain social media post <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-trayce-jackson-davis-game-changing-stint-sparks-dubs-to-blowout-win-over-bucks" rel="noopener">by Trayce Jackson-Davis</a>, Gary Payton II had a very <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1765617312164626444" rel="noopener">simple response</a>, via Warriors on NBCS.</p><p>“I promise you, they’re regretting it now because he’s playing like a third year. He’s picking up things a lot and when, you know, you’ve got the greatest on your side, it’s kind of easy to fall in line and get a feel of how OGs play,” he declared.</p><p>The tweet shown to the Warriors guard was one posted during the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. “Ya’ll will regret it. I promise you,” were the words of the aspiring draftee before he landed with the Warriors. Since then, he has been on an upward trajectory due to the help of Steve Kerr along with other coaches and teammates.</p><p>Payton added that there was something different that set TJD and other Warriors’ young guns apart.</p><p>“He understands and he knows who to get the ball to and how to protect each other’s backs, he’s learning every day and going uphill. It’s great to see that from all our young guys,” he said.</p><p>All of his efforts and psychotic work ethic are now slowly paying off as the Warriors inch closer to the postseason.</p><h2><b>Warriors demolish the Bucks</b></h2><p> </p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Golden-State-Warriors-forward-Trayce-Jackson-Davis-32-makes-a-shot-over-Milwaukee-Bucks-forward-Giannis-Antetokounmpo-34.jpg"><figcaption>© Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bucks-news-is-giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-vs-warriors-latest-injury-update" rel="noopener">Giannis Antetokounmpo was doing the best</a> that he could to close the huge gap between the Bucks and the Warriors. He scored 23 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and even dished out six assists. But, only Damian Lillard and Bobby Portis Jr. managed to back him up.</p><p>The Warriors, on the other hand, saw Stephen Curry pop off but involve his teammates a lot more. Curry had 29 points while leading the team with eight rebounds. He also saw five other players reach double-digit scoring numbers. Brandin Podziemski and Payton were also just a bucket away from extending this list. But, it was not just the offense that set the Warriors apart. They blazed up for 32 points in the fourth quarter while also just allowing nine points from their opponents.</p><p>This was a big bounce-back performance after losing by 52 points to the Boston Celtics.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Gary Payton II reminds NBA of Trayce Jackson-Davis’ warning — ‘They’re regretting it’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-gary-payton-ii-on-his-dad-trash-talking-him-as-a-kid');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors: Gary Payton II on his dad trash-talking him as a kid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gary_Payton_II_admits_impact_of_his_dad_talking_trash_to_him_when_he_s_a_kid.webp"></figure><h1>Warriors: Gary Payton II on his dad trash-talking him as a kid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-28T10:56:05-08:00">February 28th, 10:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-28T10:56:05-08:00">February 28th, 10:56am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>An experienced writer and journalist, Preston Byers currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sonics-10-best-draft-picks-in-franchise-history-ranked" rel="noopener">NBA legend Gary Payton</a> is one of the most notorious trash-talkers in league history, and the chatter didn’t stop when he went home.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-expected-return-from-illness-vs-hornets" rel="noopener">Gary Payton II, the</a> elder Payton’s son and a member <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-chris-paul-immediate-reaction-to-triumphant-return-from-21-game-injury-absence" rel="noopener">of the Golden State Warriors</a>, said his father’s trash talk <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1762693313231200626" rel="noopener">pushed him to get</a> better and ultimately reach the NBA.</p><p>“He was trash-talking me. I got a lot of that when I was growing up. He used to talk trash to me when I was sorry growing up playing hoop, coming to my games telling me this, telling me that,” Payton II said. “I probably got it a little worse than y’all did on the court, but I kind of think he instilled the dawg in me. I didn’t like the way he was talking to me, so I had to find a way to flip it on him. But now, he don’t say nothing to me no more, so I guess I’m doing something right.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">GP2 says his dad talking trash to him as a kid "instilled the dog" in him 😂 <a href="https://t.co/BR0X4KY3kz">pic.twitter.com/BR0X4KY3kz</a></p><p>— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1762693313231200626?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 28, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Payton II is in his eighth season in the league, having played his most memorable and successful years with the Warriors. He won an NBA championship with Golden State in 2022; during the postseason, Payton fractured his elbow but returned later in the playoffs to help the Warriors best the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.</p><p>Payton began his pro career in the G League after going undrafted in 2016. He bounced around several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Wizards, before finally landing with the Warriors in 2021. After the title win, Payton signed with the Portland Trail Blazers, although he returned to the Warriors via trade less than a year later.</p><p>Payton’s father, who earned the nickname “The Glove,” is regarded as one of the greatest defenders in NBA history, having won the 1996 Defensive Player of the Year award and being named to nine All-Defensive First Teams in his career.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors: Gary Payton II on his dad trash-talking him as a kid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-expected-return-from-illness-vs-hornets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Gary Payton II expected to make return from illness vs. Hornets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-expected-to-make-return-from-illness-vs-hornets.webp"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Gary Payton II expected to make return from illness vs. Hornets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-23T14:08:23-08:00">February 23rd, 2:08pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-23T14:09:35-08:00">February 23rd, 2:09pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors picked up a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-draymond-green-sounds-off-key-unlocked-dubs-scary-form-lakers-win" rel="noopener">much-needed victory</a> at home over the Los Angeles Lakers coming out of the All-Star break on Thursday night. However, they played this game without Gary Payton II, who has been dealing with an illness. Known for his defensive abilities and quick burst off the bench, Payton has been a real game-changer for the Warriors in recent seasons.</p><p>Although he missed the battle against Los Angeles, it appears as if Payton will be returning to the court against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night after seeing his status upgraded to probable on the team’s <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-02-23_04PM.pdf" rel="noopener">injury report</a>.</p><p>Payton, who recently returned for four games prior to the All-Star break from a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steve-kerr-sheds-light-gary-payton-ii-plan-injury-return-amid-dubs-rise" rel="noopener">month-long hamstring injury</a>, has made a positive difference in the Warriors’ defensive effort. With Payton available and on the floor, the Warriors were able to win three out of four games heading into the break. Overall, Golden State has picked up victories in nine of their last 11 games. A win over the Hornets on Friday night could result in the Warriors moving up to the 9-seed in the Western Conference.</p><p>In a total of 20 games this season, Payton has averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor. Although his numbers are nothing to be enamoured by, Payton is one of those players whose impact is measured by the eye test. Whether it is diving on the ground for loose balls, tipping out rebounds for second-chance scoring opportunities, or poking the ball away on defense, Payton tends to do a lot of the little things that help Golden State win games.</p><p>The Hornets may not be one of the better teams in the league, but they have won four straight games. The Warriors will need to continue playing great defense in order to keep their recent hot streak alive, which is why Payton’s return is meaningful.</p><p>Ahead of Friday night’s game against the Hornets, the second night of a back-to-back for the Warriors, veteran point guard Chris Paul is the only other player listed on the team’s injury report. Paul is expected to make his return to the court in the coming weeks.</p><p>After their matchup with the Hornets, the Warriors will prepare to host the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Gary Payton II expected to make return from illness vs. Hornets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/lakers-news-gary-payton-explain-he-believes-lebron-james-will-finish-career-in-la-after-warriors-interest');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gary Payton explains why he believes LeBron James will finish career with Lakers after Warriors interest');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gary-Payton-explains-why-he-believes-LeBron-James-will-finish-career-in-LA-after-Warriors-interest_1_50.webp"></figure><h1>Gary Payton explains why he believes LeBron James will finish career with Lakers after Warriors interest</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-16T18:36:35-08:00">February 16th, 6:36pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-16T18:36:35-08:00">February 16th, 6:36pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James and the Lakers have picked up the pace a bit in recent weeks, cruising into the NBA trade deadline comfortably above the .500 mark as the season reaches its unofficial halfway point. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-kendrick-perkins-lebron-james-free-agency-take-will-have-la-fans-thrilled" rel="noopener">James has continued</a> playing at an All-Star level so far this year, but that hasn’t stopped other teams from checking in on his availability, as it was recently reported by Adrian Wojnarowski and Romana Shelburne of ESPN that the Golden State Warriors–James’ longtime rivals with the Cleveland Cavaliers–had inquired <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-lakers-heat-among-potential-klay-thompson-free-agency-suitors" rel="noopener">with the Lakers</a> about the superstar’s trade availability, and were obviously turned down.</p><p>Still, the report opened up speculation that James might one day opt to join nemesis Stephen Curry in the Bay Area at some point, as he is able to enter free agency this upcoming offseason. However, one person <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/gary-payton-believes-lebron-james-will-finish-his-career-with-the-lakers-013017932.html" rel="noopener">who disagrees with</a> this notion is NBA Hall of Fame point guard and one time Laker Gary Payton.</p><p>“LeBron did what he wanted — [what] he was supposed to. He said, ‘I’m staying where I’m at,’” said Payton, per Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports. “He’s been traveling too many times, been to Cleveland, you know. He been to Miami, went back to Cleveland. This is his last stop, man.”</p><p>LeBron James has indeed made several stops in his future Hall of Fame career, including with the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, the Miami Heat, and now the Lakers, where he has remained since 2018. With James intact for at least the rest of this season, the Lakers will try to capitalize on last season’s push to the Western Conference Finals.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gary Payton explains why he believes LeBron James will finish career with Lakers after Warriors interest

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-iis-ultra-confident-take-on-guarding-suns-big-3-nba-superstars');   ga('set', 'title', 'Gary Payton II’s ultra-confident take on guarding Suns’ Big 3, NBA superstars');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Warriors_news_Gary_Payton_II_s_ultra-confident_take_on_guarding_Suns__Big_3_NBA_superstars.webp"></figure><h1>Gary Payton II’s ultra-confident take on guarding Suns’ Big 3, NBA superstars</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-10T23:41:59-08:00">February 10th, 11:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-10T23:41:59-08:00">February 10th, 11:41pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a>Jack Winter is a veteran NBA writer and editor based on the West Coast. He currently lives in Oakland, covering the last legs of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Gary Payton II returned to the Golden State Warriors like he never left, playing a pivotal role off the bench in his team’s thrilling <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/phx-vs-gsw-0022300757/box-score#box-score" rel="noopener">113-112</a> win over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday at Chase Center.</p><p>Playing for the first time since January 2nd, Payton scored 11 points, grabbed four rebounds, dished two assists, swiped one steal and blocked one shot in just 14 minutes, also shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from the field—including a wing three-pointer and a pair of acrobatic reverse lob finishes. Both Stephen Curry and Draymond Green highlighted his offensive influence on the postgame podium, lamenting how easily and frequently that aspect of Payton’s game—especially the finer points like screening, cutting and quickly moving the ball—gets overlooked.</p><p>Saturday’s game was a forceful reminder of why that dynamic exists, though, Payton’s dogged individual defense on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker playing a major role in the Suns’ paltry 106.7 offensive rating. He was especially aggressive checking Durant, refusing to give the two-time Finals MVP airspace off the bounce while forcing him into a series of contested mid-rangers.</p><p>Not many players in the NBA would relish the assignment of guarding arguably the best pure scorer of all-time, particularly facing an eight or nine-inch height differential. Payton, obviously, isn’t most players. He doesn’t just want the other team’s toughest matchup on a nightly basis, but finds defending superstars “fun.”</p><p>“It’s what I’m here for. It’s the funnest part of the game, you know, guarding superstars,” Payton <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmstrongWinter/status/1756539925858787529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1756539925858787529%7Ctwgr%5Ec93f9d33dc6fcc36503facdc22937c63ff95f4fb%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwp.clutchpoints.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D2687113action%3Dedit" rel="noopener">told ClutchPoints</a> after the game. “Try to make it difficult, tough for them. Make them think. It was great.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">11 points, 4 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block on 5-5 shooting for Gary Payton II in his return.</p><p>After the game, I asked him how much he relishes defending guys like KD, Booker, Beal.</p><p>“It’s what I’m here for. It’s the funnest part of the game, you know, guarding superstars.” <a href="https://t.co/nyGZXL6CzV">pic.twitter.com/nyGZXL6CzV</a></p><p>— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmstrongWinter/status/1756539925858787529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Golden State was already thriving defensively before Payton returned from injury, reaping the benefits of Green-the best defender of his generation-coming back from suspension and playing center full-time. Andrew Wiggins looks much more like the bonafide stopper who helped the Dubs to a title in 2022, and Jonathan Kuminga is getting more and more consistent deploying his rare physical tools both on the ball and in help situations defensively.</p><p>The Warriors’ <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/advanced?LastNGames=10&amp;dir=A&amp;sort=DEF_RATING" rel="noopener">111.4 defensive rating</a> in the last 10 games ranks third-stingiest in basketball. With Green, Wiggins and Kuminga on the floor for the season at large, their defensive rating is a ridiculous <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2023-24&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=203110,203952,1630228" rel="noopener">101.5</a>, per pbpstats, over seven points per 100 possessions lower than the Minnesota Timberwolves’ league-leading mark.</p><p>Needless to say, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-steve-kerr-sheds-light-gary-payton-ii-plan-injury-return-amid-dubs-rise">Golden State will be even more difficult to score on</a> now that an elite all-around defender and tone-setter like Gary Payton II is back in the fold. The Dubs’ next two opponents, the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers, better take note of his presence. Payton seems to have no other plans going forward but wrecking offenses, just like he did while helping the Warriors to one of their best wins of 2023-24.</p><p>“We got Utah and then we got the Clippers, so…I’m excited for the next couple games, basically,” he said.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Gary Payton II’s ultra-confident take on guarding Suns’ Big 3, NBA superstars

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-steve-kerr-sheds-light-gary-payton-ii-plan-injury-return-amid-dubs-rise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Steve Kerr sheds light on Gary Payton II plan in injury return amid Warriors’ rise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/warriors-news-steve-kerr-sheds-light-on-gary-payton-ii-plan-in-injury-return-amid-dubs-rise.webp"></figure><h1>Steve Kerr sheds light on Gary Payton II plan in injury return amid Warriors’ rise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-10T17:14:52-08:00">February 10th, 5:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-10T18:04:26-08:00">February 10th, 6:04pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a>Jack Winter is a veteran NBA writer and editor based on the West Coast. He currently lives in Oakland, covering the last legs of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>SAN FRANCISCO — The Golden State Warriors are defending better, playing faster and reaping the all-court benefits of deploying more athletic lineups. Adding even more encouragement for the Dubs as those developments drive their midseason turnaround? <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-surging-warriors-have-found-their-best-version-despite-quiet-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">Golden State has developed its new identity</a> with Gary Payton II watching from the sidelines, out since early January due to a hamstring strain.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-set-for-major-gary-payton-ii-boost-vs-suns" rel="noopener">Payton is set to return</a> for the surging Warriors’ highly anticipated Saturday clash against Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and the Phoenix Suns. Steve Kerr told reporters pregame that Payton will “definitely be on the floor” at Chase Center, getting the chance to tangle with the Suns’ vaunted Big Three, but will play on an unofficial minutes restriction as he re-acclimates to the NBA action after missing the last five weeks.</p><h2>How Gary Payton II will fuel Warriors’ new identity</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Golden_State_set_for_major_Gary_Payton_II_boost_vs_Suns.webp"></figure><p>The presence of Durant, Booker and Beal makes Payton especially valuable to the Warriors on Saturday. There may not be a team in the league against which he’s primed to make more of an impact than the Suns. Payton isn’t just some situation stopper, though. He’s been a rotational for Golden State when healthy this season. But the Dubs’ new identity could present the perfect opportunity for Payton to provide the same game-changing two-way play he did on their run to the 2022 title, making them even more dangerous as the stretch run of the regular season dawns.</p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/ArmstrongWinter/status/1756470679950799360" rel="noopener">Asked how</a> Payton’s game fits into the new-look Warriors’ attack, Kerr stopped just short of telling ClutchPoints the “6’3 power forward” goes hand in glove with his team.</p><p>“Our defense has gotten better. We’ve played with more pace, we’re attacking the rim a little bit more,” Kerr said of Golden State’s recent play. “Gary is such an interesting player because he’s almost like a 6’3 power forward in some ways. He’s a little bit lineup dependent; we’ll have him in certain combinations. But we absolutely want him to do what he does best, which is to generate steals, deflections, dive to the rim, finish around the basket. And those things, as I said, they kinda fit into the way we’ve been anyway. We’re playing with a little more athleticism, a little more pop and he fits right into that.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gary Payton II is set to play vs. Suns tonight after missing the last five weeks with a hamstring strain. Asked Steve Kerr how he fits into Dubs’ new identity.</p><p>“We’re playing with a little more athleticism, a little more pop and he fits right into that.” <a href="https://t.co/3fYTBpxWtN">pic.twitter.com/3fYTBpxWtN</a></p><p>— Jack Winter (@ArmstrongWinter) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmstrongWinter/status/1756470679950799360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Expect Payton to take Gui Santos’ minutes at backup forward for the foreseeable future. His lack of a threatening long-range jumper from anywhere but the corners accounts for that lineup dependence, suggesting Payton will mostly see the floor with units featuring Green and Dario Saric at center rather than Kevon Looney or Trayce Jackson-Davis. Payton also has a better ball-screen mind-meld with Curry than anyone on the roster but Green, fueling the expectation his minutes will be closely tied to Golden State’s best players, too.</p><p>It may take awhile before Payton gets back up to full speed. Once he does, though, don’t be surprised if he helps the Warriors lean even further into the pace, ball pressure and halfcourt movement that’s defined their eye-opening play over the last couple weeks.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Steve Kerr sheds light on Gary Payton II plan in injury return amid Warriors’ rise

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-set-for-major-gary-payton-ii-boost-vs-suns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors set for major Gary Payton II boost vs Suns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Golden_State_set_for_major_Gary_Payton_II_boost_vs_Suns.webp"></figure><h1>Warriors set for major Gary Payton II boost vs Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-09T17:24:16-08:00">February 9th, 5:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-09T18:02:09-08:00">February 9th, 6:02pm</time><address><a>Jack Winter</a>Jack Winter is a veteran NBA writer and editor based on the West Coast. He currently lives in Oakland, covering the last legs of the Golden State Warriors' dynasty.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>There are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-surging-warriors-have-found-their-best-version-despite-quiet-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">many factors</a> driving the Golden State Warriors’ midseason renaissance.</p><p>The return of Draymond Green from an indefinite suspension is probably the biggest one. Jonathan Kuminga’s meteoric rise definitely might be next. Andrew Wiggins’ rejuvenation can’t be discounted. Steve Kerr’s decision to commit to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-dubs-steve-kerr-finally-commit-to-intriguing-starting-lineup" rel="noopener">small-ball starting lineup</a> featuring all three of them up front has been an unmitigated success. Don’t forget that Stephen Curry is suddenly back to playing like a top-tier MVP candidate.</p><p>But it’s fair to say the Dubs’ major defensive turnaround looms largest, an especially frightening reality for the rest of the league considering their most disruptive perimeter defender is set to be back in the lineup. Gary Payton II is nowhere to be found on Golden State’s <a href="https://ak-static.cms.nba.com/referee/injury/Injury-Report_2024-02-09_07PM.pdf" rel="noopener">injury report</a> for Saturday’s battle with the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center, clearing the way for him to return after missing the last five weeks of play due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-hamstring-injury-update" rel="noopener">hamstring injury</a>.</p><p>Payton last played against the Orlando Magic on January 2nd, forced to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-forced-to-exit-magic-after-scary-hamstring-injury" rel="noopener">leave the game early</a> after stumbling while hounding Cole Anthony in the backcourt. Two days later, Golden State announced that Payton was set to miss multiple weeks with a strained hamstring, an especially frustrating development because he’d only just earned a clean bill of health a few days earlier after missing the previous month of action with a calf injury.</p><h2><b>How will surging Warriors re-integrate Gary Payton II?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Kerr-Payton.jpeg"></figure><p>Payton’s return comes at the perfect time for Golden State. His presence is arguably more useful against the Suns than any other team in basketball. While Wiggins, Kuminga and certainly Green are capable of making Phoenix’s big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal work for their offense, Payton’s blend of athleticism, length and anticipation make him not just the Dubs’ top on-ball defender, but one of the very best ‘stoppers’ in the NBA.</p><p>Expect to see Payton match up with Booker for stretches of Saturday’s game, trailing the Suns’ de facto point guard across the floor with his typical brand of outwardly aggressive defense. He’s equally well-suited to checking Beal, and has enough lateral quickness to keep Durant in front of him and get into the former Warrior’s body on pull-up jumpers and post-ups.</p><p>The bigger question is how Kerr will reintegrate Payton to the surging Warriors’ rotation beyond Saturday night. His game is a perfect fit for the more uptempo, frenetic two-way attack they’ve deployed since their season resumed over the last nine games, a stretch that’s coincided with Green getting most all of his playing time at center.</p><p>Golden State’s opponent turnover rate rises by a whopping <a href="https://cleaningtheglass.com/stats/team/10/onoff#tab-team_efficiency" rel="noopener">4.5%</a> with Payton on the floor, the biggest difference among players league-wide, per Cleaning the Glass. The Warriors get more transition opportunities when he’s in the game, too, no surprise considering Payton’s penchant for steals, blocks and deflections defensively.</p><p>There’s <i>definitely </i>a regular rotation role for Payton with the Dubs. But who will lose minutes now that he’s back? Odds are that Payton that forces recently promoted two-way player Gui Santos back to the bench.</p><p>Santos’ energy, physicality and processing speed has impressed since he entered the rotation over the last five games, and concerns about Golden State swapping his minutes at forward for someone 6’3 aren’t unwarranted. Payton has always played much bigger than his size, though, consistently ranking among the league’s best non-big rebounders. He can capably guard four positions against most teams and is also an adept screener and finisher in the halfcourt, frequently forming a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-the-stephen-curry-reason-steve-kerr-believes-gary-payton-ii-is-dubs-x-factor" rel="noopener">two-man connection with Curry</a> only surpassed by Green’s.</p><p>At his best, Payton is bound to prove a pivotal piece of Golden State’s new puzzle. The time it takes him to get back to that personal peak, if any, could go a long way toward deciding how Kerr manages his rotation as the Dubs get back to full health.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors set for major Gary Payton II boost vs Suns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-close-to-return-latest-injury-update');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Gary Payton II inches closer to return with latest injury update');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gary_Payton_II_inches_closer_to_return_with_latest_injury_update.webp"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Gary Payton II inches closer to return with latest injury update</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-06T12:09:02-08:00">February 6th, 12:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-06T12:09:51-08:00">February 6th, 12:09pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Golden State Warriors will be getting some much-needed reinforcements on the defensive side of the ball soon after Gary Payton II received a <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/1754954143016370210" rel="noopener">positive injury update</a> on Tuesday. Payton, who has not played since December 30 due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-hamstring-injury-update" rel="noopener">Grade 2 left hamstring strain</a>, has been cleared to practice with the team after recently being re-evaluated by the Warriors’ medical staff.</p><p>He will be listed as day-to-day leading up to his eventual return to game action.</p><p>Payton has always been known for his defensive abilities in a Warriors uniform. His return will surely create a spark off the bench for Golden State, who currently find themselves ranked 20th in the league in defensive rating.</p><p>Before suffering his hamstring injury, Payton was averaging 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in about 16.3 minutes per game off the bench. The 31-year-old has only played in a total of 16 games due to his current hamstring injury and a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-sidelined-indefintely-amid-significant-injury" rel="noopener">calf injury</a> he suffered during the NBA In-Season Tournament in November.</p><p>The Warriors find themselves in a very interesting spot at this point in the season. Currently 22-25 on the year, one full game back from the play-in region of the Western Conference standings, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-bulls-demar-derozan-warriors-plans-nba-trade-deadline-rumors" rel="noopener">Golden State has decisions</a> to make leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. Outside of Stephen Curry, the Warriors are said to be open for business as they look for ways to improve their short-term championship outlook. On the books for $8.7 million this season, Payton is a player who has also been rumored as a potential trade candidate.</p><p>While the Warriors have not given an exact date as to when Gary Payton II will return to action, his recent injury update provides a sense of optimism that he will be ready to take the court before the All-Star break at the end of next week.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Gary Payton II inches closer to return with latest injury update

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-steve-kerr-shoots-down-chris-paul-gary-payton-ii-trade-speculation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Steve Kerr shoots down Chris Paul, Gary Payton II trade speculation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/warriors-news-steve-kerr-shoots-down-chris-paul-gary-payton-ii-trade-speculation.webp"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Steve Kerr shoots down Chris Paul, Gary Payton II trade speculation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-02-01T10:26:49-08:00">February 1st, 10:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-02-01T10:27:27-08:00">February 1st, 10:27am</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>What will the Golden State Warriors do at the NBA trade deadline, given all of their struggles this season? Everyone seems to be asking this question pertaining to Stephen Curry and the Warriors, who currently find themselves at 20-24 on the season. Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, Gary Payton II, and others have heard their names come up in <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-dejounte-murray-bruce-brown-warriors-trade-deadline-rumors-intel" rel="noopener">trade rumors</a> as of late, yet there is still no clear picture being painted as to what Golden State will ultimately elect to do.</p><p>Compared to the trade deadline of years past, teams are expected to operate a little bit differently because of the second apron tax line and all the new financial rules stemming from the league’s CBA. This has a direct impact on the Warriors, who own the league’s highest tax bill this season with a payroll that exceeds $225 million in salaries.</p><p>As far as looking to improve their championship outlook this season, the Warriors are taking both their financial situation and the talent that exists on their roster into effect. Although they may be injured right now, Paul and Payton are both key talents in the Warriors’ second unit. In what appears to be a smaller trade market with no clear upgrades presenting themselves, head coach Steve Kerr seems to be content <a href="https://x.com/957thegame/status/1752874145447313903?s=20" rel="noopener">keeping</a> everyone currently on Golden State’s roster.</p><p>“We’re not going to find better players than those guys [Chris Paul and Gary Payton II] in a trade,” Kerr said on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco. “It’s exceedingly rare to make a deal where you can upgrade your talent to that level. I’m excited about getting those guys back. Moses [Moody] too. We’ve been shorthanded these last couple of weeks, but all three of those guys can really help us for sure.”</p><p>One of the biggest flaws the Warriors have had this season is guys being in and out of the rotation. Aside from the situation surrounding Draymond Green and his suspensions earlier this season, the Warriors have never truly been whole because of injuries.</p><p>Payton has not played since January 2 due to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-gary-payton-ii-hamstring-injury-update" rel="noopener">hamstring strain</a>. Paul suffered a fractured hand on January 5 and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-chris-paul-timeline-potential-return-hand-surgery" rel="noopener">underwent surgery</a>. Moses Moody has not played since January 10 because of a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-dubs-dealt-tough-moses-moody-injury-blow-before-road-trip-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">calf strain</a>. So many things have snowballed for the Warriors this season, resulting in many of their subpar performances.</p><p>Regarding the trade deadline and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-andrew-wiggins-future-warriors-edge-cliff-ahead-trade-deadline" rel="noopener">moves the Warriors could make</a>, there aren’t many options that would drastically improve this team’s chances of completely reinventing their image. Perhaps Pascal Siakam would have made this type of impact, but he was already dealt to the Indiana Pacers. The Warriors understand that they have the personnel to win right now. At this point, it’s all about staying together and getting everyone back on the floor.</p><p>“I think a deal is almost always unlikely. That doesn’t mean a deal won’t happen,” Kerr continued. “The fact is, most trade deadlines, not much happens. You just try to do the best you can with what’s happening at that particular time with the team, and that’s what we are doing right now. I think we are getting better.</p><p>“I know we had two really tough losses this week, but I like the direction our team is trending, and I like the guys who are coming back off of injury.”</p><p>The Warriors are just 1.5 games back from being in the play-in tournament picture in the Western Conference. A simple win streak could drastically change things for this organization, as the trade deadline is now just one week away.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	2.6	1.1	0.4	0.9

2023-24 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
5.5	2.6	1.1	0.4	0.9

Gary Payton news

Gary
Payton news