Ranking Golden State Warriors from the 2022-23 season – Gary Payton II
With the 2022-23 season having come to an end, we look back and review every player that took to the floor for the Golden State Warriors. Players are ranked on performance, with some of that based on preseason expectations.
Golden State Warriors’ fans were left incredibly disappointed with the departure of Gary Payton II last offseason, with the 6’2″ defensive-minded guard leaving on a three-year, $28 million deal to the Portland Trail Blazers in free agency.
But a tumultuous period for both eventually saw player and franchise reunite at February’s trade deadline. Payton had offseason surgery and there was question marks on Portland’s handling of his subsequent treatment, while the 2022 champions got off to their own sluggish start as they hovered around a .500 record. A four-team deal on deadline day saw Payton return to the Warriors, but not without an ordeal after the 30-year-old failed his physical.
The impact of Gary Payton II to the Golden State Warriors was evident during a postseason run that ultimately fell short in the second-round.
Golden State took a conservative approach to re-incorporating Payton, seeing him play just seven regular season games that didn’t start until March 26 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He played over 15 minutes in that outing, scoring nine points in a display that proved he he hadn’t lost any familiarity with the Warrior system.
Payton played over 21 minutes in Golden State’s penultimate game against the Sacramento Kings, recording 10 points (4-for-5 shooting), five rebounds and two blocks to help the Warriors to a crucial victory that aided in avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
With Andrew Wiggins coming off the bench after a long absence for personal reasons, Payton started in Game 1 of the postseason against the Sacramento Kings. He had 13 points (5-for-6 shooting), six rebounds and two steals to be one of the Warriors’ better players in Game 2, but his playing time strangely plateaued over the remainder of the seven-game series.
Playing less than 13 minutes in each of the first three games against the Lakers, Steve Kerr turned back to Payton in a Game 4 where he played over 23 minutes. ‘Young Glove’ responded as one of his team’s best in the heart-breaking ,series-defining loss, scoring 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting.
Kerr recognized his impact from there, starting Payton over the final two games as Golden State unsuccessfully sought a return from a 3-1 deficit. It did work in Game 5 at the very least, with Payton scoring 13 points (4-for-5 shooting) and being a +25 in over 27 minutes.
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After a season heavily impacted by injury amid a lack of continuity, there’s plenty of reason to think Payton can be a bigger influence to the Warriors’ next season. He remains capable of being part of a playoff rotation, and his defensive prowess will always be a weapon that Golden State severely missed to start their 2022-23 campaign.