San Francisco, Ca – The Golden State Warriors eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies this week. Now, they’re waiting to find out their next opponent. They will play the winner out of the Phoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks series. While waiting for their next opponent, Steve Kerr released some hopeful information for Warriors fans.
The Warriors coach said Gary Payton II could return in the Conference Finals.
Steve Kerr said they are not ruling out a possible return for Gary Payton II in the Conference Finals.
— Mark Haynes (@markhaynesnba) May 15, 2022
“We're not ruling him out for the whole Conference Finals,” Kerr told ClutchPoints. “But we're not saying he's going to play either. I think it would be a long shot for him to play, but I think it's a possibility.”
Payton had a career year. During the regular season, the defensive-minded guard averaged 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game off the bench for the Warriors. He went from barely making the team to a key contributor in the rotation.
In Game 2 of the last series, Memphis guard Dillon Brooks knocked Payton out of the air and sent him crashing to the ground awkwardly on his elbow. It was the last time the Golden State guard was seen, and many thought his season might be over.
Since it's an elbow injury, Payton II can keep up with his conditioning. This is going to play a huge factor in how soon he returns. Time is everything right now. The Warriors don't want to rush him back, but they definitely hope to have him.
Their next opponent will have either Chris Paul or Luka Doncic running the show. It will be a big help if the Warriors have their best perimeter defender against them, but we will have to wait and see.
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