What are the outlooks for Gary Payton II, Jordan Poole, Damion Lee?
One can say that the Golden State Warriors are as good as they are because of Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins, which is partly true, but their supporting cast is arguably the best in the league.
Golden State plays 10, 11, sometimes even 12 players deep into their rotations at times and their most important secondary talents are some of their guards. Jordan Poole, Damion Lee and Gary Payton II have all stepped up throughout the first-half of this season and each guy has really helped shape this team into the powerhouse they are.
Now in his third season in the league, Jordan Poole is really having a “Most Improved Player” like campaign, averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 assists, 1.0 steals and shooting 44.5% from the floor.
Poole ranks third on the team in scoring this season and given how natural of a scorer he looks like, it will be hard to keep him off the floor even when Klay comes back!
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Warriors Have Big Plans For Klay Thompson Upon Return
While head coach Steve Kerr has stated that Klay Thompson will start when he is ready to come back, this does not mean that Jordan Poole’s role is going to change too much. The plan all along has always been for Poole to be the “sixth-man” for this team and given his immediate scoring value, he is going to thrive in this bench role against opposing team’s secondary-unit.
Gary Payton II just had his contract guaranteed for the season by the Warriors and while his minutes will decline with Klay Thompson coming back, he is still going to be a vital part of the Warriors’ rotations because of his freakish athleticism and his defensive instincts.
Golden State struck gold once again with GP2 and they could very well begin to groom him as their next “Andre Iguodala” type of player. For years, Iguodala has been the defensive-stopper for the Warriors, guarding the opposing team’s best player, and this could very well be Payton’s role moving forward off-the-bench.
As for Damion Lee, he could very well end up being one of the odd-men-out, but at the same time, he has proven his worth to this franchise, hence why they guaranteed his contract as well.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Warriors Have Big Plans For Klay Thompson Upon Return
Lee ranks fourth on the team in scoring and is shooting 44% from the floor on the season. Being a versatile defender and rebounder as well, Damion Lee will be yet another guy the Warriors will have on their bench that they can count on here and there depending on matchups.
Not many teams in the league have the luxury of playing their players based on matchups, but the Golden State Golden State Warriors have some of the best depth in the entire NBA. Because of this depth, they are able to throw many different rotations out on the floor and find success in many different ways.
