Kendra Andrews ESPN5:07 PM ET3 Minute Read
SAN FRANCISCO — Gary Payton II is considered likely for Sunday’s game between the Golden State Warriors and the Minnesota Timberwolves, coach Steve Kerr said.
Payton trained on Friday and took part in the team’s light practice on Saturday afternoon. He will warm up on Sunday with the intention of playing. The final decision is made before the tip.
“I’m starting to feel like myself,” Payton said. “I’ve missed a lot of games this year so I’m ready to get back on the pitch with the lads and wrap that up for the home stretch.”
Payton has been out since Feb. 8 – when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers – and has only played 15 games this season as he sustained a right adductor injury resulting from an off-season procedure.
Payton was acquired by the Trail Blazers at the close of trade in a deal that was initially held up after the Warriors raised concerns about his physical exam. After deciding to go ahead with the deal, the Warriors decided that Payton would be reevaluated in a month.
On Saturday he said he felt the best he hadn’t felt all year.
“Earlier in the year I’m feeling pretty good after working through the little aches, bumps and bruises from the off-season,” Payton said. “Every day to get my body in order, a little grooming, fine tuning, we’ve had a little bit more time to do and get all that [my body] where it needs to be.”
Payton’s return to the Warriors comes with just seven games left in their regular season schedule. And while his familiarity with the team, and familiarity with him in some ways, will make for a smoother transition — Payton said it will be like riding a bike — Kerr expects there will be a reacclimation period.
“I don’t think anything in the NBA is going smoothly, especially at this point at the end of the year,” Kerr said.
He later said: “It would be one thing if he had been with us all year. It’s a much easier transition. But the fact that he wasn’t here all season, there are a number of guys in our team, who really haven’t played with him It takes some time to find combinations and patterns.
However, the team knows how Payton should influence the game. The Warriors believe he’s one of the best defenders to fit their mold, and his point-of-attack defense can help bolster an area they’ve struggled with this season. His defensive presence will also ease the pain of Andrew Wiggins’ absence.
“He’s so good on the ball, but he’s also good off the ball and plays on the passing lanes,” Kerr said. “I felt like we got a lot more out of transition steals last year than we did this year, and Gary is a great transition finisher too. And we’re either last or near the bottom in transition points per possession this year, which shouldn’t be the case.”
Payton’s presence will also “eat up a few minutes from other players,” Kerr said. He hasn’t specified exactly where Payton’s minutes will come from, but said “a lot” of players will be affected.
“So the biggest thing for our group is to understand that everyone is on deck,” Kerr said. “What I’ve learned is that in successful teams, everyone is able to submit to the group for the greater good, which isn’t easy. We are all human, human nature is to want and achieve good things and put ourselves in a great position, but it’s not always easy to understand the big picture.
Payton will be subject to a minute limit on his return, but what the limit will be is yet to be determined.