The struggling Warriors took another hit with a report that veteran guard Gary Payton II will be sidelined indefinitely after suffering a leg injury during Tuesday night’s loss at Sacramento.
Payton, 30, has a torn right calf, according to a report Wednesday from The Athletic’s Shams Charania. An MRI exam is scheduled for Thursday, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape.
Payton limped off the court favoring his right leg at the end of the third quarter of the Warriors’ 124-123 loss to the Kings. Payton appeared to suffer the injury while on defense, coming off a screen when he pulled up in obvious pain and hobbled to the locker room.
The Warriors also saw veteran Chris Paul leave that game in the first quarter with lower left leg soreness. He did not return either, and his status is unknown.
Golden State is 8-10 and plays at home on Thursday against the Clippers.
The Warriors got Draymond Green back from a five-game suspension, but the loss of Payton, one of the Warriors’ top defenders, is another blow for a team that opened the season 5-1 but has lost nine of its past 12.
Payton is averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 rebound as a reserve this season. He is second on the team in steals despite being ninth in minutes played.
The team did not provide a timeline for his return, but recovery from a calf tear typically can take around eight weeks.
Payton has had some tough luck staying on the court this season. He missed three of the Warriors’ previous four games with a foot problem. and was out for the Nov. 8 game against the Nuggets because of illness. Payton also got a late start in his return to the Warriors last season after returning in a trade with Portland, missing more than a month because of an abdomen injury.
Payton’s plus-20 differential when he’s on the floor ranks fourth on the team.
Check back for more on this developing story.
Source: www.mercurynews.com