Golden State Warriors: 3 Trends that have emerged recently

By Tony Pesta | Dec 4, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 25: Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on April 25, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

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Golden State Warriors (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

When Gary Payton is on the floor, good things happen

If there is one thing that has been certain about the Golden State Warriors season thus far, it is they typically when the minutes when Gary Payton are on the floor.

To be fair, it is a small sample size. At least, relative to the rest of the team. Payton plays only 14.1 minutes per game, the 11th fewest on the roster.

Even so, Payton has an average plus/minus of +8.0, which places him 11th in the entire NBA. What’s more, his total minutes allocate to a plus/minus of +159, which is the sixth-highest in the league.

There are multiple factors that play into this. For starters, Payton has played more than half (143) of his total minutes this season next to Stephen Curry — who, coincidentally, has the highest plus/minutes in the NBA by a wide margin at an insane +268. The next closest is Giannis Antetokounmpo at 201.

This two-man duo of Curry and Payton is a +123 in their minutes together.

So, Payton clearly benefits from the position that he is in. But that should not take away the fact that he is conducive to winning. His motor on defense combined with his quality shot selection has made Payton a great asset to the Warriors bench.

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