The Warriors are elated to have Gary Payton II. Now, Steve Kerr has to find the right rotations with him — when synergy is needed most.
What mattered most in Payton's return was how he felt physically during and after the loss. To him, it felt like he played even fewer than nearly 16 minutes. Payton played only 26 seconds in the first quarter, seven-plus minutes in the second, sat the entire third quarter and played almost eight minutes in the fourth.
Who Payton was surrounded by wasn't always normal, though. Payton re-joins a Warriors team still led by Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson, as well as Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins -- if he's to return this season. The bench is younger, with some new faces as well. Kuminga played just under 15 minutes off the bench. Over the Warriors' previous six games, he was averaging 24.4 minutes per game. Kerr opted to go small and try and use the Warriors' speed to their advantage against the bigger Timberwolves. JaMychal Green only saw 3:57 of action. That's his fewest minutes this season in a game where he has stepped on the court.
"I say it. I say it out loud to the group," Kerr said in his pregame press conference when asked about players losing minutes to Payton."I think the one thing every player wants is clarity and honesty. Having been a player before, everything is much easier when you know what the coach is thinking. I always try to share with our guys what we are looking to do, and with Gary coming back, it means that some minutes will obviously be taken away from other guys.
Between the last two games, both starts, DiVincenzo has scored two points on three total shot attempts.
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