SAN FRANCISCO — Guess who’s the top defensive team in the NBA?
That’d be the Golden State Warriors, who got a huge boost from Gary Payton II off the bench in a 114-92 win Wednesday over the Charlotte Hornets.
Payton received a massive ovation from the home crowd once he exited in the fourth quarter. He energized the entire building and his squad after scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds with three steals and a block.
After the game, Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Payton played himself into the rotation and that he won’t only be used on a matchup basis.
“He brings so much energy, and he brings everybody else’s energy up, too,” Kerr said. “He needs to play more, for sure.”
Not bad for a guy who secured the last spot on the Warriors’ roster on opening night.
“It’s great,” Payton said of his expanding role. “It doesn’t matter how long, how many seconds I get, how many minutes I get. Just go out there and make a play for my team.”
Exhibit A for Payton’s energy: This monster dunk he threw down on Kelly Oubre Jr.’s headtop.
But Payton played it down after the game saying, “It’s just two points.”
Payton’s effort rallied the Warriors all night, especially in the third quarter when his defense helped propel Golden State to a game-changing 27-15 advantage in the period. Payton entered with 5:34 left in the quarter and the Warriors promptly went on an 11-1 run.
“This is why I’m here,” Payton said. “This is what I’m here for -- to come in and spark whatever we need to spark.”
Payton was a force on defense all night and it led to some high postgame praise from Klay Thompson.
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After the game, Payton said he took kindly to the nickname “Young Glove,” an ode to his father and Hall of Famer Gary “The Glove” Payton.
It’s been a long and winding path for Payton to work his way into an NBA rotation, as he has played for four teams since entering the league in 2016 as an undrafted player. During pre-draft workouts at Merritt College in Oakland in 2016, Payton struck up a relationship with Warriors teammate Damion Lee, who said it’s gratifying to see him carve out a role on the Dubs this season.
“Been knowing G for the last five years,” Lee said. “Obviously, he’s like one of my brothers. So happy for him. I understand that it’s all about opportunity and staying ready. He’s obviously embodied that. It doesn’t matter if he comes in a minute, two minutes, he always puts his impact on the game.”
The Warriors built their dynasty on teams with offensive firepower but Kerr said it feels different this year. Golden State’s 97.8 defensive rating is tops in the NBA, according to StatMuse.
“It’s an exciting start to the year,” Kerr said. “We’re starting to build an identity and it’s very much defensive-minded, which is kinda fun.”
