Gary Payton II has burst on to the scene for the Warriors this season.
Since claiming the team’s final roster spot right before opening night, the high-flying Payton has carved out a rotation role and become a fan favorite at Chase Center. Payton joined 95.7 The Game’s “The Morning Roast” with Bonta Hill and Joe Shasky Wednesday to discuss his quick ascent in 2021. Listen to full interview below:
Payton -- like his Hall of Fame father -- has built his basketball identity around his defensive capabilities. Though he has been a firestarter on defense for the Dubs this season, Payton said he’s always leaning on veterans like Draymond Green to get better.
“Draymond makes sure we stay on our toes and don’t take the easy way out,” Payton said. “Me personally, I told Draymond and [Andre Iguodala], don’t let me slip up or anything on the defensive end. Nitpick at me for anything and make sure we’re all on our toes. To be good in this league, you gotta play defense.”
The Warriors are 12-2 with the NBA’s best record and the top defensive rating (98.9), according to NBA.com. Payton’s steals have often led to transition buckets that hype up the squad and help everyone lock in to the defensive end.
“We just try to get each other going,” Payton said. “One leads to another. One guy gets a stop, it motivates the other guy to get a stop. One guy gets a dunk, the other guy gets a dunk. It trickles down the line all the way to the 15th man. We just feed off each other’s energy.”
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Another big aspect of Payton’s game this season has been his dunking ability. While many fans have clamored for GPII to submit his candidacy for the NBA Slam Dunk Contest over All-Star weekend, the 28-year-old said he’ll pass.
“I am going to stick with my word,” Payton said. “I’m going to continue to be myself. I need to help this team win. I’m going to leave that to the young guys.”
