Gary Payton II is fast becoming one of the Golden State Warriors' most influential players. Come to think of it, if it weren't for Bob Myers fighting for Avery Bradley, he would barely make it to the 15-man list. Bradley is a favorite of the coaching staff and veterans because of his experience and defensive pedigree.
After nine games, an 8-1 record and Payton's show season to date — his 19 minutes on the court saw the Warriors 27 more points than the Houston Rockets — the Warriors reaped the biggest gains from their 15th roster.
Payton continues to thrive on the margins, and the impact is by no means marginal. His ability to run without the ball and cut points proved to be a valuable asset, a skill that people didn't expect from him, but despite this, he was warmly welcomed.
Payton, though 6 feet 3 inches tall, is long and bouncy and is occasionally placed as an ultra-small 5-year-old. The Rockets and New Orleans Pelicans had no choice but to hide the big man on the defensive end and have them defend Payton, proving that they saw Payton as an offensive threat (that is, not a threat).
Sensing this pattern, Steve Cole devised a set of tactics that cleverly exploited Payton's advantage over the big man in terms of speed and athleticism.
Payton's ability to jump on stilts made him a constant high-hanging ball threat, and Payton took advantage of the slower, weaker, athletic big men whose timing and execution were impeccable.
In addition, spacing elements should be considered. Defenders hesitate in this regard because they are reluctant to help shooters on the outside; Nemanja Belica (55.6 percent from 2 three-point ranges per game), Otto Porter Jr (3.3 three-pointers per game 46.7 percent) and Damion Lee (44.4 percent from 4.5 three-point ranges per game) are all on the corners, and such a game is highly likely.
"He just does it every night," Cole said of Peyton. "He's a powerful weapon for the bench. I think I've already said that, but the great thing about this team this year is that we have a lot of shots and a lot of space, which opens up space for Gary. This year's team is better suited to him than last year's team. That's why he was able to make such an impact. ”
In the game against the Rockets, Payton's value as a cutter was once again fully demonstrated. Dribbling through a more direct offensive threat allowed him to take advantage of the defense's ignorance of him.
The Warriors have reached a stage where it has become necessary for Payton to play on the court as a valuable rotation mainstay, rather than as a defensive expert for a few minutes on the court.
While this number may be exaggerated by a number of factors — inferior opponents, alignments favorable to the opponent's second unit, etc. — the on/off data is increasingly leaning towards his preferences. According to PBP data, in the 92 minutes of Payton's play this season, the Warriors scored as many as 38.7 points per 100 offensive appearances, and their offensive efficiency (128.7) and defensive efficiency (90.0) will lead the league by absolute advantage.
Payton made 4 steals, proving that he was a nasty guy on the pass line and a torturer on the offensive point. The Rockets soon discovered that Payton's precarious dribbling nearby was a dangerous attempt — and he made them pay the price.
Payton is becoming the face of the Warriors' newfound deep success story.