Steve Kerr Gives Injury Update on Gary Payton II

The Warriors will be without GP2 for a while
Karl Mondon | Credit: Bay Area News Group

Both the Golden State Warriors and Gary Payton II himself are devastated following the news of his injury. With best-case scenario being a return in 3-5 weeks, Payton will likely be out until at least the NBA Finals, putting the remainder of his season in serious jeopardy. On Thursday, Steve Kerr addressed the situation during his media session.

"Gary is out for the foreseeable future, for weeks. That's the only thing that matters to us," Kerr said when asked about Dillon Brooks being suspended. When asked about Gary Payton's current morale, Kerr said, "He's bummed. He's got a huge brace on his arm, and he's gonna be out for a long time. He's crushed... In the spotlight, playing in the playoffs, playing a huge role, playing well, that's all been taken away from him. We all feel terrible for Gary, he deserves better."

Not only does Payton miss out on the biggest opportunity of his career, but the Warriors lose their best POA defender against Ja Morant. While the team still believes they can win without him, their job got a lot more difficult with Dillon Brooks' reckless act.

With a couple more days off in between now and Game 3, the Warriors will adjust their defensive game plan against Morant, who torched them for 47 points in Game 2 after Payton went down. Should they do a better job containing him, while getting the offensive production they expect from their stars, the team will have an opportunity to regain a series lead.

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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.