SAN FRANCISCO – In a month of disappointment and heartache, the Warriors finally received some good news Monday when two of their top reserves, Gary Payton II and Moses Moody, were cleared for light individual on-court workouts.
Golden State definitely needs both men back.
Payton, one of the Warriors' best defenders, is out for three weeks with a grade II left calf strain after struggling for a rebound on Jan. 2 against the Orlando Magic. That was only his second game after missing 13 games with a left calf injury.
Payton was recently reevaluated and the reports were promising. The 31-year-old was at training on Monday, where he trained with an assistant coach and fired punches. The Warriors said he will be reevaluated in two weeks.
That's encouraging for a Golden State team that struggled on defense for most of the 2023-24 NBA season. In the seven games Payton missed due to his recent injury, the Warriors have allowed an average of 127 points per game and have won just twice in seven games.
Moody could be back before Payton. Moody, one of Golden State's leading scorers off the bench, is also making good progress from a Grade 1 left calf strain he suffered on Jan. 10 against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Like Payton, Moody was given the green light to return to light individual workouts during practice and will be re-evaluated in a week.
The Warriors have lost two of their three games while Moody was sidelined and definitely need his offense. The third-year guard, who scored 21 points in back-to-back games before his injury, is averaging career highs in points scored (8.7), shooting percentage (48.2) and minutes played (18).
Due to injuries and Draymond Green's NBA suspension, the Warriors were shorthanded for most of the season. Chris Paul's broken left hand has taken a toll on Golden State's backcourt and left a significant hole in the second unit.
Rookie Brandin Podziemski has tried to fill the gap from injuries. As a starter, he scored a career-high 23 points on January 13 against the Milwaukee Bucks, but was much more effective off the bench.
Overall, Golden State's backups have given the team a big lift most of this season. The Warriors are among the top teams in the league in terms of bench rating (43.8 points per game) and minutes played.
Once Payton and Moody are cleared to play, these numbers should only improve. Hopefully the whole team will improve too.
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