Warriors hint that GP2 is nearing return

The Warriors defensive ace appears to no longer be out ‘indefinitely.’

The Golden State Warriors shared some good news surrounding injured wing Gary Payton II’s status on Thursday. Payton has been out since he suffered a torn ligament in his left thumb in late-March. On the injury report for Thursday night’s matchup against the Lakers, the Dubs listed Payton as day-to-day for the first time since the injury. That shift suggests Payton could be nearing a return.

Payton is a dominant on-ball defender on the perimeter and an excellent slasher. Recently, Payton has flashed some more comfort as a primary ball handler and rekindling his three-point shot. While he’s averaging 6.6 points and 3.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game (58 games) on .585/.330/.711 shooting this season, but he’s been particularly productive lately. In his last 16 games before the injury, Payton recorded 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game on 50% shooting from three.

When healthy, Payton has been one of head coach Steve Kerr’s most trusted role players. However, his jump shot is critical to allowing him to stay on the floor. Even if he is able to return to action, returning from such a significant injury to his shooting hand could spell trouble. Nevertheless, with the Warriors trying to avoid the play-in and the playoffs right around the corner, Payton will not have much time to figure it out.