With Gary Payton II suffering a serious injury, the Golden State Warriors will lose a useful piece in tutoring Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies.
In Game 2 of the Eastern Semifinals, the Golden State Warriors suffered a 101-106 defeat and allowed the Memphis Grizzlies to equalize the score 1-1 in the BO7 series. Not only that, they also suffered a serious loss in terms of force, when Gary Payton II will have to miss a long time due to injury.
Serious injury to Gary Payton II
According to the latest MRI results from the Golden State Warriors medical team, Gary Payton II has an elbow fracture with ligament damage. This injury will force the 29-year-old defender to miss at least 3 weeks. Gary Payton II can only return in case the Golden State Warriors reach the NBA Finals.
Gary Payton II suffered a serious injury after a rough tackle by Dillon Broks
More notably, this is not a normal collision injury. Dillon Brooks’ excessive blocking of the ball right at the beginning of the match caused Gary Payton II to take time off. Many fans did not hesitate to criticize this as an unsportsmanlike action by the Memphis Grizzlies defender. According to some information, Dillon Brooks may receive an additional penalty from the NBA due to behavior that endangers others.
If Dillon Brooks is banned from playing for 1 match, the Memphis Grizzlies will have to endure certain difficulties when traveling to the Golden State Warriors’ field. However, this loss of the “Bears” will not be comparable to the fact that the “Golden Gate Bridge Warriors” will not have the services of Gary Payton II in the next matches.
Gary Payton II and the task of accompanying Ja Morant
In terms of playing time, Gary Payton II is not the most optimal choice on coach Steve Kerr’s bench. However, with an average of 15.9 minutes played per match, Gary Payton II is only behind Otto Porter Jr. in the number of minutes played on the Golden State Warriors’ second team in the Playoffs round.
Gary Payton II’s value lies in his defensive ability and aggressive play style
In the 2021-2022 Regular Season, Gary Payton II did not have too many outstanding contributions to the Golden State Warriors. However, the 29-year-old defender is showing an extremely impressive performance during the Playoffs, with an average of 6.1 points per game and an efficiency of up to 72.7%. In Game 5 against the Denver Nuggets, it was Gary Payton II who hit an extremely important 3-pointer to end all hopes of his opponent.
However, defense is Gary Payton II’s strongest point in the Playoffs. There is not much to show in the series with the Denver Nuggets, but the 29-year-old defender is an important factor in the confrontation with the Memphis Grizzlies. In particular, he took the main responsibility for tutoring Ja Morant in matches.
According to statistics from the NBA, Gary Payton II had about 4 minutes and 21 seconds of direct confrontation with Ja Morant in the past 2 matches. The 29-year-old defender limited the Memphis Grizzlies star to a 2/6 performance and only 5 points total.
Statistics show that Gary Payton II is a player who very well limits Ja Morant’s strength
In 3 matches in the Regular Season, Gary Payton II only gave Ja Morant a performance of 2/12, had 5 turnovers and had no successful 3-pointers after about 16 minutes of play. Among the players who accompanied Ja Morant the most, Gary Payton II brought the greatest effectiveness in the 2021-2022 season.
The above statistics show the importance of Gary Payton II in limiting Ja Morant. With the absence of the 29-year-old defender, coach Steve Kerr will be forced to give more tasks to Andrew Wiggins, who also has a pretty good record in confrontations with the Memphis Grizzlies star. However, this will also affect the Golden State Warriors’ gameplay in upcoming matches.
The Golden State Warriors will have difficulty blocking Ja Morant in the upcoming matches
Gary Payton II’s injury came at a time when the Golden State Warriors least expected it. Overcoming the Memphis Grizzlies goes hand in hand with limiting Ja Morant’s power. If they cannot do that, it will be difficult for the Golden State Warriors to go further in the 2022 NBA Playoffs.