Despite the absence of key rotation member Gary Payton II, the Golden State Warriors were able to overcome the Houston Rockets in a Game 7 victory that's seen them advance to the second-round of the NBA playoffs.
Payton is dealing with an illness that saw him absent from Sunday's game, with the Warriors now listing the defensive-minded guard as questionable for Tuesday's Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center.
Gary Payton II has been the Warriors' best answer for Anthony Edwards
Payton's absence may have actually been a good thing for Golden State in Game 7, potentially allowing for more Buddy Hield minutes as the veteran sharpshooter went off for an astonishing game-high 33 points to lead his team to a road victory.
Outside of a huge fourth-quarter in Game 3, Payton was largely ineffective against the Rockets. The Warriors were -47 in the 32-year-old's 96 minutes throughout the series -- easily the worst of any player for either team.
However, Payton may be far more important against the Timberwolves as Steve Kerr tries to orchestrate a way to limit superstar guard Anthony Edwards. The former number one overall pick outplayed Luka Doncic and LeBron James as the best player in Minnesota's first-round series win over the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 26.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Commonly seen as Golden State's number one perimeter defender, Payton has had some success guarding Edwards over the past couple years. In fact, Payton has guarded Edwards more than he has any other player in the entire league in each of the last two seasons.
In four meetings between the two teams during this regular season, tracking data has Payton matching up to Edwards for nearly 19 minutes of playing time. That's over six minutes more than the next player he guarded the most -- L.A. Clippers guard James Harden.
In those minutes, Edwards shot 5-of-12 (41.7%) from the floor and 1-of-4 (25%) from 3-point range -- both significantly worse than his overall percentages (45/40) on the season. Edwards also averaged four turnovers against the Warriors this season, up from his season average of 3.2.
Payton also limited Edwards to 3-of-8 (37.5%) shooting in three meetings last season, further suggesting that he's going to be Golden State's best answer in trying to contain the Timberwolves star. Of course, his ability to do that is going to be determined by his health, not to mention his ability to prove effective offensively and not be a liability on that end.
Minnesota rookie Rob Dillingham is the only player confirmed out for either team in Game 1, with the eighth overall pick having not played since the penultimate game of the regular season.