Inside The Warriors

Gary Payton II Addresses Elbow Injury

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II shares first message post-injury

Joey Linn

Brandon Dill / AP Photo

The Golden State Warriors announced that versatile guard Gary Payton II will miss 3-5 weeks with a fractured elbow. The injury occurred on an unnecessary and dirty foul from Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks, who was ejected for the play. With the news coming out that Payton would miss extended time, the young guard shared a message on his Instagram story:

If the Golden State Warriors were to make an NBA Finals run, a return for Gary Payton II has not been ruled out, but he will certainly miss the remainder of this series. Payton's absence will certainly be felt, as he had previously done a good job defending Ja Morant, who exploded for 47 points after Payton was removed from the game. Without him, the Warriors will have to find new ways to slow down Morant.

While the news that Payton will miss 3-5 weeks is unfortunate, it is on the shorter end of many of the timetables that were predicted following the initial diagnoses. With the door remaining open for a potential return in the NBA Finals, there remains hope that GP2 will have an opportunity to play again this season. With all of the work that he put in to not only make this roster, but emerge as a key contributor, it would certainly be great to see him back on the floor during these playoffs.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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