The Golden State Warriors are set to have a full rotation available for Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with Gary Payton II cleared to play in the series opener at Target Center on Tuesday.
Payton missed Sunday's Game 7 victory over the Houston Rockets due to illness, something that may have actually worked in the Warriors favor as Buddy Hield went for a stunning game-high 33 points in the 103-89 victory.
The 32-year-old has also been dealing with other injury issues over recent weeks, with Payton actually being listed as questionable for Tuesday's game due to left elbow joint inflammation. He's also been wearing a splint to support an ongoing thumb issue, much like superstar guard Stephen Curry.
Payton's return could spell trouble for Jonathan Kuminga, with the young forward seeing brief opportunity on Sunday thanks to his teammate's absence. Kuminga was actually the first player off the bench in a spot Payton usually fills, yet played only seven minutes in which he failed to make an impact.
The Warriors will need Gary Payton II to help limit Anthony Edwards
Payton averaged 16 minutes in his six games against the Rockets in the first-round series, having made a huge fourth-quarter impact in Game 3 where he finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting to help the Warriors to a crucial win without Jimmy Butler.
Outside of that performance, Payton wasn't overly effective against Houston despite earning the start in Game 6. However, his presence against Minnesota may be far more valuable, with Golden State looking to find a way to limit the production of superstar Anthony Edwards.
As outlined here, Payton has been a prominent defender on Edwards over the past two seasons. The former number one overall pick has been kept to just 8-of-21 shooting when guarded by Payton over the last seven games -- significantly worse than the nearly 45% he shoots for his career.
The more Edwards gets off the leash and starts to dominate, the more minutes Payton may have to play to try and quell his influence. That's going to be a fascinating part of Steve Kerr's rotation, particularly after the Warriors benefited from having Hield's shooting on the floor for heavy minutes in Game 7.
The use of Payton and fellow veteran Kevon Looney will be interesting in comparison to Golden State's young players, with Kuminga, Moses Moody and Quinten Post all largely struggling throughout the first-round series.