Pro Beavs: Gary Payton II Plays 12 Minutes for Warriors in Preseason Matchup with Kings
On October 9, the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings played in a preseason game at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The Warriors won the game 122-112 in a performance where they relied heavily on the three-point shot – the Dubs attempted 52 threes in the game and connected on 53.8% of them.
Former Oregon State Beavers guard Gary Payton II played a limited role in the game, on the floor for 12 minutes and dishing two assists, grabbing a rebound, and hitting a free throw. Though he played just a few minutes and did not stuff the stat sheet, he played good defense per his role on the team.
Last season, Payton II played in 44 games for the Warriors, averaging 15.5 minutes per game and scoring 5.5 points, grabbing 2.6 rebounds, doling out 1.1 assists, and recording 0.9 steals. Playing the third-string guard spot, behind Stephen Curry and De'Anthony Melton, Payton II will get his fair share of minutes on a team that is now lacking shooting guard Klay Thompson. Due to this, Podziemski is the starting two-guard, meaning his reps at point guard will be more limited, opening up an avenue to floor time for Payton II.
He's also listed as a reserve shooting guard, and with Andrew Wiggins out for Golden State, this could create more need for him to play as Buddy Hield moves over to the wing spot occasionally. A jack-of-all-trades as a perimeter player, Payton II will have a role on this team, even if it isn't as a starter.
Payton II played at Oregon State from 2014-2016, where he was Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year twice as well as all-Pac-12. He averaged 14.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over two seasons there before ending up in the NBA.
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Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.