Why Gary Payton II Is SO GOOD For The Warriors

When the game is on the line and you badly need a defensive stop, just insert this dude into the lineup. Here's what I mean. Gary Payton II has been a lockdown pest for the Dubs this season and he's become the poster boy of the Dubs D with steals like these. Before his breakout season this year, this was a guy who just appeared in 94 games over the last 6 seasons going back and forth from the G League to the NBA. Back then, the young glove was like a hot potato that nobody wanted for the team. But now, it's a totally different story and everyone is on his grill as if he's some kind of hot commodity. To get a hold of his transition from being just a regular rotation guy to becoming a vital piece in the Dubs 2022 championship lineup, let's crunch the numbers to see how this guy went from zero to hero. As you can see from the table here, his numbers weren't that eye popping. I mean, he averaged below 7 points a ball game his whole career. But if you look a little more in depth and go beyond the surface, you're going to be surprised. For example, looking at his numbers based on the per 36 minute stat line, you'd see that the young glove is incredibly efficient and effective. Per 36 minutes a ball game, GP2 is averaging about 16 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals while shooting beyond 80% from within the arc and 41% from downtown. Now guys, these are some absurd numbers and if I'm Steph Curry or Draymond Green, I'm thanking the front office that they didn't sign Avery Bradley instead. Anyway, to have a more in depth focus on the game of GP2, let's review some of his highlight It's pretty clear in this play that GP2 is giving up several inches over the much taller Dosenmuth. Knowing that he'll have a hard time fighting him when he's above the ground, GP2 uses quickness when the ball was still on the deck and it resulted in back to back swipes which led to a fast break for the dubs on the other end. Another thing that is underrated about his game is his hustle. Most guards would just casually stroll back to the other end after a missed shot, but check out GP2 right here. After Damian Lee missed his shot, the young glove slowly crept out of the corner and despite standing only at 6'3", he was able to grab the offensive board and stick up a putback. The phrase they're now using for Peyton's explosiveness is lightning in the legs. With almost a quarter of the season now in the books, the dubs are still leading the pack in terms of defensive rating and there's no doubt that the young glove has his fingerprints all over it. Aside from the dubs other premier defender, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr has nothing but praise for his two hound dogs and gave a special shout out to GP2 in a recent interview about the quality of defense that he brings in every night. Having Gary Peyton playing a prominent role has given us two all world defender to add to the mix. Being labeled as an all world defender by a hall of famer coach speaks volumes to his defensive effort and tenacity. In these following clips, let us expound about Steve Kerr's claim as to why he's an all world defender in his view, specifically breaking down how he swipes and blocks the leather. In this defensive sequence against the Hornets, GP2 wasn't able to contain the much heftier Miles Bridges during his initial attack. But when Bridges took on Steph, GP2 used a monetary switch in defense to gather himself to time his attempt and swat a shot with authority. In this next clip, the Kings are trying to swing the ball to get some people open in this play right here. After Buddy Heald threw a pass to Halliburton, GP2 was able to intercept the next pass using his incredible nose for the ball as well as being simply active on his feet. Speaking of steals, GP2 has already tallied 33 steals in 27 games that he appeared in. And although Alex Caruso tops the league in steals with 2.2 a ballgame, followed by Gary Trent Jr. and Marcus Smart with 2.1, these steal numbers pale in comparison when you compare it to GP2 steals average of 3.1 a ballgame per 36 minutes. Steve Kerr once again pointed out GP2's value to the team in a press conference and he also talked about what makes him a great teammate, whether he's on the court or off it. He's just a great weapon to have, defensively especially, but he's also hitting his threes this year. So he has worked hard on his shot, dynamic defensively, ready every single night, always cheering everybody on. He's a guy you can play 20 minutes or zero and he's still got the same energy, the same life. He's just a great guy to have on the team, a great teammate. As I've been pounding since the start of the video, GP2 is the type of player who has an incredible motor that consistently remains active whenever he's on the floor. To simply put, he's the type of player that doesn't need the coach to design a play for him. Gary Payton II is a hustler and the man calls his own number. Let me show you what I'm talking about in these succeeding clips. In this play right here, Bialyzza surveys the Dubs offensive from the top of the key. When things were about to get stagnant, GP2 had the presence of mind to cut under the rim for an easy layup. When JP3 was having a hard time shaking off his defender in this play, you could see GP2's activeness here once again as he went backdoor, sliding past the sleeping defense of Jalen Green for a reverse two-hand flush. Well, aside from providing tremendous energy with his non-stop movement, GP2 is a certified crowd drawer as he can give you highlights on both ends of the floor in just one possession. Here's Zach Levine, one of the best scorers in the league right now. But in this sequence, he was matched up with one of the best defenders in the league and guess what happened? A reverse jam at the expense of a two-time slam dunk champion. That's what I call sending a statement. Moving on to our next clip, you can see here that GP2 showed CP3 how to steal the ball as he perfectly anticipated his pass to Cameron Payne, which leads to, you know what? Man, another eye in the sky play coming from the little guy who you would not expect to have so much hops. His old man Gary Payton talked about his son's incredible progress this season, and he even hilariously talked about GP2's unbelievable leaping ability by saying, Furthermore, the elder Payton also expounds on what GP2 got from him, most especially on playing defense. On the other hand, here's GP2's response when a reporter asks how he gets his offense going. Aside from the numbers we've just run down at the beginning of the video, GP2's value for the Dubs is highlighted with another figure, this time his PER rating of 21.13, which ranks second in the entire roster, only behind Steph Curry's. Whether it's playing hard-nosed defense or finding his own shot on offense, GP2 can give you solid numbers on both ends on limited action. And should the Dubs spike his minutes on the floor, I'm pretty sure that he's going to produce numbers way more than what's expected of him. Anyway, there's something else I wanted to point out today, and that's Nikola Jokic. I know he's not on the Warriors or anything, but just like Steph Curry, the man is history in the making, and uh, well, just watch the video right here. The man is nuts, and I actually made this whole video to show y'all how exactly he's doing it. So click the video guys, and like always, you know where I'll see ya, on the other side.