Resurgent guard likely to leave rotation issue for Steve Kerr and Warriors

The Golden State Warriors are 10-2 in their last 12 games and flying ahead of an upcoming seven-game home-stand. They completed a 4-1 road-trip on Thursday against the Brooklyn Nets, with Stephen Curry continuing his impressive form with another 40-piece.

Curry is naturally drawing plenty of headlines for his recent play, and so too is Jimmy Butler given the 6x All-Star's arrival was the turning point in the entire Warrior season. Youngsters Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody are drawing plaudits for their recent improvement, while rookie center Quinten Post continues to be a revelation to the point where there are now calls for the seven-footer to receive All-Rookie honors.

Almost every Golden State player is playing better over the past 12 games, but there is one that may be going under the radar more than any of his teammates.

Gary Payton II has hit form with the Warriors

Much like the Warriors in general, Gary Payton II was far from his best through the first 50 or so games of the season. In fact, given the injury troubles the defensive-minded guard has faced over recent years, we haven't really seen the best of him since the 2021-22 championship season.

However, what we've seen over recent games may be the closest thing we've seen to Payton's best in a long time. He too appears rejuvenated by the Butler trade, with that reflected in his performances on the recent road-trip.

Four of Payton's top five scoring outputs on the season have come in the last month, and two of those have come over his last three games. The 32-year-old had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists last Saturday against the Philadelphia 76ers, then followed that up with nine points and two rebounds in just 10 minutes against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday before exiting the game with a nasal fracture.

After missing Tuesday's win over the New York Knicks due to the injury, a masked Payton returned on Thursday against the Nets and had 16 points and nine rebounds as Golden State battled back from a 22-point first-half deficit.

The 16 points and nine rebounds were both season-highs for Payton, while it also also his highest scoring output in a game since December 23, 2021. While his 3-point percentage is still at a lousy 25%, Payton's ability to attack the rim and finish has been an improved element over recent games -- showcased in his attempt at posterizing Nic Claxton on Thursday before finishing a put-back layup.

Payton's return to form is a welcome sight for Warrior fans and Steve Kerr, but it does also leave some question marks on the rotation moving forward. As Jonathan Kuminga prepares to return from a long-term injury and the playoffs approach, Kerr will inevitably have to shorten the rotation.

Yet with bench options like Payton, Post and Gui Santos playing so well, that's not going to be an easy task. Previously you would have thought that Payton may be easily removed to make way for Kuminga, but now he's playing in a manner that desperately warrants 12-18 minutes per game.

Ultimately it's a good problem for Kerr to have, and it's certainly an important resurgence for Payton who's set to be an unrestricted free agent and looking for a payday in the offseason.