Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II will miss time due to the core muscle injury he dealt with as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, but for now, it does not appear as though it will be as much time as previously believed. According to Warriors general manager Bob Myers, Payton will be re-evaluated in one month, and the team hopes to have him back on the floor before the postseason begins in April.
Payton played for the Warriors last season, but left as a free agent to sign a lucrative contract with the Blazers. Golden State reacquired him at the trade deadline, but the deal nearly fell through due to the core muscle injury Payton is dealing with. The Warriors initially failed Payton in his physical, but eventually decided to move forward with the trade despite the injury concerns. Initial reports suggested that Payton could be out another three months due to the injury, but now the Warriors appear optimistic that they will get Payton back in the regular season.
That would be a significant development for a Golden State team that badly needs Payton's defense. After winning the championship behind a stellar defense last season, the Warriors have fallen to league-average defensively without Payton this season.
Getting him back should allow the Warriors to build defense-first lineups when they need stops, and give Golden State an ideal defender to throw at star Western Conference guards like Ja Morant and Devin Booker in the playoffs.
Payton played through the core muscle injury in Portland, but now he's going to miss time while recovering for the Warriors. That isn't ideal for a Warriors team that wanted him back on the floor right away, but if he can return during the regular season, they'll treat that as a victory and move on.
