For most of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors looked unstoppable. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson — a.ka. the Splash Bros — looked like they were locked in.
Then the fourth quarter happened, and the Celtics took complete control en route to stealing the opening win.
This didn’t sit well with NBA legend and former Sonic great Gary Payton, whose son Gary Payton II suited up to play after breaking his elbow about a month ago. Except the Warriors didn’t use Payton II. Not even for a minute.
Naturally, his father vented some of his frustrations on The Rich Eisen Show on Friday:
“Suit him up and you don’t play him, I don’t know… (The Warriors) are not at full strength.”
Asked Hall of Famer @GaryPayton on Friday what he thought of his son @garydwayne not getting any minutes in Game 1 of the #NBAFinals: pic.twitter.com/5sZWIRc80G
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) June 4, 2022
Here’s the full quote of Payton wondering about the Warriors’ plans for his son as the series shifts to Game 2 on Sunday:
“I don’t know what happened yesterday [Thursday]. That’s on the coaching staff and the organization of Golden State. I don’t know. Suit him [Payton II] up and you don’t play him, I don’t know.
I’m not the coach, I’m not the trainer over there, and I don’t know what the thinking was in that, but they’re not at full strength … It’s hard for guys to keep sitting over there and get in a rhythm. I think he [Payton II] should be on the floor. You know, that’s just my opinion. That’s on the coaching staff of Golden State. I hope he comes back so he can help the team try to win a championship, but like I said, that’s up to the Golden State Warriors.”
Phew. Talk about a dad stumping for his son. To be fair to Payton, he might have a point. Payton II is one of the Warriors’ better on-ball defenders. If healthy and ready to play, his presence might have helped Golden State slow the Celtics’ three-point barrage in Game 1.
Ah, but there’s the rub. Do we know if Payton II is really healthy? Payton himself alludes to the idea that only the Warriors know Payton II’s true status. And after not playing for roughly a month, it’d be understandable if the Warriors didn’t want to throw Payton II to the fire of the NBA Finals.
We’ll see what the Warriors’ plans for Payton II are on Sunday night. For now, Payton seems to be speaking more like a passionate dad, rather than someone in the know. Which, more power to him.
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