On May 1, Beijing time, the Golden State Warriors officially posted a boarding map of the whole team flying to Memphis, and the two teams will play a semi-final G1 showdown on May 2, the Warriors are 4-1 Nuggets in the first round, the Grizzlies are 4-2 Timberwolves in the first round, the Warriors have more rest time, but the Grizzlies have home advantage as the second in the West. The showdown between Morant vs Curry is exciting.
Morant averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 assists, 8.7 rebounds, 1.33 steals, 0.67 blocks, 4 turnovers in the first round, shooting 38.6% and shooting 20% from three-point range, it can be said that he did not play well against Beverley's defense, but there were some flashes in handling the ball at key moments. Morant's physical fitness is very exciting, Kerr is unlikely to let Curry defend Morant, this is just a faster consumption of Curry's physical fitness, so the bench Peyton Jr. will be the key to defending Morant.
On the evening of April 30, a news from the Warriors data media has been on fire, in the regular season, Morant faced Gary Payton II's 16 minutes and 04 seconds, 12 of 2, 3 of 3 points, shooting 16.7%, 7 points, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 steals and 1 block, this data has attracted more than 2,000 Warriors fans, in other words, Payton Jr. will be the key person to defend Morant.
Payton Jr. played a fragmented time in the first round, but in the key G5 to get 26 minutes, he also had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 3 of 8 6 + 4 three-pointers, and hit a crucial three-pointer in the last quarter, he must have won Kerr's trust.
Payton Jr. averaged 17 minutes per game in the first round, 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1 steal, 0.8 blocks, shooting 70.6%, 75% three-point shooting, don't just look at the efficiency value and then look at the defensive data, 17 points per game can send 1 break 0.8 blocks, he is really a top defender. Morant is so hard to face the elderly Beverley, and it is even more difficult to face Peyton Jr.
Warriors reporter Kevin Dana also said that Payton Jr. has only shot 27 percent from three-point range in the G League over the past five seasons, and his three-point shooting percentage has improved rapidly since joining the Warriors this season, reaching 39 percent after the All-Star, and his defense has always been good, and he is a top 3D player.
Payton Jr., who has earned just $1.66 million this season, is the representative of low salary and high energy.
Text/Yan Xiaobai