SAN FRANCISCO — A Warriors defense rounding into shape will get a key reinforcement for Saturday’s game against the Phoenix Suns.
Gary Payton II, who missed the last 16 games with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, returns to action for Golden State’s four remaining games before the All-Star break. Payton’s strong point-of-attack defense is much needed against Phoenix’s Big Three scorers of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, coach Steve Kerr said.
Payton, 31, has spent most of this season off the floor dealing with injuries than on it. The 31-year-old has played in just 16 of the Warriors’ 47 games. He played just two games between his calf strain and this latest hamstring strain. Payton returned to practice during the Warriors’ stop in Philadelphia, where he said sitting on the bench has taken a mental toll.
Golden State’s defense has gone from one of the league’s worst to one of its best over the last two weeks since Draymond Green’s return on Jan. 15. Green flanked by Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga in the frontcourt has produced a 95.9 defensive rating in the 156 minutes they’ve played together heading into Saturday’s game.
As a team, the Warriors have a 112.2 defensive rating since Green’s return, ranked fifth in the NBA over that span. Off the bench in spots, Payton can further seal the perimeter with his quick hands on defense.
“Our defense has gotten better,” Kerr said. “Gary is such an interesting player because he’s almost like a 6-foot-3 power forward. He’s a little bit lineup-dependent so we’ll have him in certain combinations but we absolutely want him to do what he does best, which is generate steals, deflections, dive to the rim, finish around the basket, and those things.”
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“We always love his energy,” Warriors guard Steph Curry said earlier this week on getting Payton back. “We’ve consistently been better on that end of the floor with defensive-minded guys who can change the game on that end. He can plug into any lineup, and that’s been a huge weakness of ours all year.”
Chris Paul, who underwent surgery to repair a fractured left hand on Jan. 8, is the only Warrior listed on the injury report on Saturday.
He will be re-evaluated later this week but was seen getting shots up and running sprints after the Warriors practiced in Philadelphia. A cleaner bill of health coincides with the Warriors’ bit of momentum; they went 4-1 on their last five-game road trip.