In the home game against the Grizzlies, the Warriors are missing three scorers, Poole, Wiggins and Damien Lee, and they must find the right replacement in the game. Of course, they have Stephen Curry, and as long as he storms off, the Golden State Warriors have a chance to win. Even so, we still have to consider who will be his main helper?
When we think about this, several names come to mind. Maybe it's Otto Potter Jr. or Bjelica. Jonathan Cumming also had the opportunity to stand up and take responsibility. All three of them helped, but what really came forward was an unlikely name: Gary Peyton II.
In the Warriors' 113-104 win, Payton Jr. started in place of Poole, finishing with a season-high 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range.
"He's fearless, and he finally has a chance to play on a good team," Warriors coach Kerr said after the game. "He's the kind of guy who will take that opportunity and make the most of it all. He was funny. ”
Kerr has always been very optimistic about Payton Jr., which is why he chose to keep Payton in the end. But he didn't expect Payton Jr. to have influence at both ends of the board.
"We knew he was going to make a difference," Cole said. "We really liked him a year ago and all summer and we knew we needed a defensive defender to complement the squad. We wanted him to help us win games, but games like this, 4-of-7 from three-pointers and 22 points in a single game, I didn't expect that. ”
Payton's improved shooting is no coincidence. He spent the whole summer working on his shooting skills, which made him feel comfortable and confident. "The coach told me to dare to shoot, so I just shot," Payton said. "He said don't worry, especially if I get it, just let it go. Don't think about it, just shoot. ”
As Kerr hinted, his plan was to make Payton a defensive expert. That makes him the Warriors' 15th man, and any offense he can offer is just icing on the cake. It was his defense that got Cole to say he needed to buy More playing time for Payton before deciding to make him start against the Grizzlies so he could start defending Jamorant.
At the beginning of the season, Payton's biggest offensive tool was the empty cut dunk. Now he has developed a steady three-point shooting ability. Coupled with his own individual defensive ability, Peyton Jr. is already the league's top 3D.