Warriors veteran makes case for starting role in midst of roster turmoil

The Golden State Warriors pulled out a massive 116-109 win against the one-seed Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, surviving a 52-point night from Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Forward Andrew Wiggins had another great performance, posting 27 points, four rebounds and two assists. Stephen Curry scored 21 points, shooting 50% from the 3-point line and making all four of his free throws. Kevon Looney, taking over the bulk of the minutes at center, put up a huge game by his standards, providing the Warriors with presence in the paint and scoring a season-high 18 points.

Yet it's one player's performance that may have gone unnoticed and could have big implications for the Warriors' rotation strategy going forward. Gary Payton II, starting at power forward in the absence of Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga, scored a season-high 15 points, coupled with nine rebounds and three assists.

Gary Payton II pushes for an increased role in the Warriors rotation

With the Warriors missing two of their major pieces to injury, Steve Kerr turned to a small-ball starting lineup against the Thunder, hoping for an unlikely win on the second night of a back-to-back.

Payton, a natural guard throughout his career, excelled in what was only his ninth game as a starter this season. Despite Gilgeous-Alexander's monster performance, Payton showed his usual solid defensive presence while providing a spark on the offensive end when the Warriors needed it most.

While GPII's role is certainly not to be a leader of the offense, his recent performance and overall versatility might help him stick in the starting lineup, even upon the return of Green and Kuminga.

Since Dennis Schröder's relegation to the bench, the struggling Buddy Hield has been thrust into the starting shooting guard role alongside Curry. Hield has struggled mightily for much of the season, averaging only 11.8 points and shooting 36.6% from the 3-point line.

While Brandin Podziemski has played better since being paired with Schröder, his lack of pure playmaking ability will probably preclude him from the starting lineup for the time being.

Therefore, with heavy roster turmoil expected as the trade deadline approaches, Payton could ultimately see himself slotted for big minutes, if not a starting role outright.

There's also the possibility that Andrew Wiggins could be dealt in a major trade before the deadline. In such case Payton's defensive presence would become even more important, assuming he himself and his $9 million expiring contract remains on the roster.

While this scenario might not be ideal as it stands for the Warriors' struggling offense, they would need some sort of defensive boost to the lineup were they to acquire a true second offensive option for Curry. Payton has posted a 1.8 defensive box plus-minus this season -- second-best among Warriors with at least 200 minutes played.

With his versatility, Payton could be an important and overlooked piece in the ongoing plans for the Warriors rotation. At the same time, there's also no guarantee he's still on the team in a week's time.