The Warriors shake up the starting lineup for Game 4 as Steve Kerr looks to take on the Lakers, but the move to do so is a shock move.
Gary Payton II played a huge role for the Golden State Warriors a year ago as they made it into the NBA Playoffs, into the NBA Finals and once again lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
And after trailing the Lakers 2-1 in the Western Conference Semifinals in the playoffs this year, coach Steve Kerr hopes Payton can be a similar factor for his team again in 2023.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday night before Game 4 of the series between the Warriors and Lakers that Payton will be included in Golden State’s starting lineup. The Warriors plan to deploy a small-ball approach that includes Stephen Curry, Payton, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green.
The Warriors fielded Gary Payton II in the starting lineup for Game 4 against the Lakers
The move comes as a shock to many Warriors fans as Payton has been a bit of a sight for Golden State at times in these playoffs, specifically on offense. While he earned a good percentage, his contributions were minimal, effectively posting 0.0 Square attack plus minus in the playoffs this year.
At the same time, it’s understandable why Kerr would make this adjustment and make it now given Payton’s prowess on defensive end.
As for his struggles on the offensive end of the floor, Payton remains an outstanding defender on the perimeter. And in the 30-point Game 3 loss to the Lakers, it was D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroeder who pushed Los Angeles to it with a combined 33 points on 8-of-14 shooting from 3-point range.
Obviously, the hope is that putting Payton in the starting lineup will force the Lakers to take a different approach than attack primarily on the perimeter and overcome mismatches with players like Kevon Looney and Jamekal Green.
Whether or not it works out remains to be seen, but faced with a pivotal situation in which they don’t want to fall behind 3-1 in the series, Kerr is trying to make an adjustment to save the Warriors’ season.