GP2 issues warning to NBA about ‘scary’ Warriors emergence

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GP2 issues warning to NBA about ‘scary’ Warriors emergence originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors are rolling at the right time after acquiring Jimmy Butler at the NBA trade deadline, and Gary Payton II believes the rest of the league should look out.

Golden State is 9-2 since their blockbuster move and has leaped into the Western Conference’s No. 6 playoff seed, and the team has done so all without one of its most impactful players.

Jonathan Kuminga has missed two months of action with an ankle sprain, but the fourth-year Warriors forward is expected to make his highly anticipated return soon, possibly even Saturday when the Warriors return home from their five-game road trip.

Once that happens — whenever that might be — Payton II issued a public service announcement to the rest of the team.

“It’s been great, what he brings to the first unit,” Payton II said of Butler in an exclusive interview with RG’s DJ Siddiqi. “It’s a little pop, a little aggressiveness, and his demand on the court is incredible. His IQ for the ball, he’s back there looking like a little Deion [Sanders] in our defense, doing what he does, being in the right spot at the right time and just making plays.

“If we can continue to do what we’re doing now — Jonathan’s not even playing right now — once Jonathan gets back into the mix, and we become full strength again, it might be a little scary down the line.”

Payton II added that the Warriors “absolutely” can emerge as a title contender with Kuminga back in the mix.

Kuminga was playing his best basketball of the season just before sustaining the injury, averaging 19.8 points on 46.7-percent shooting, with 5.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28.9 minutes in 17 games before his injury on Jan. 4.

“Once Jonathan comes back, that’s another piece that we can throw back in there, and he gets accumulated with Jimmy; we can see how that plays different lineups and different units,” Payton II told Siddiqi.

Payton II also addressed Golden State’s stunning move at the deadline that led to emotional goodbyes to fan favorites such as Andrew Wiggins. On the…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/article/gp2-issues-warning-nba-scary-162107477.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-03-06 16:21:00

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