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“I’m not as offensively gifted as my dad, so I get steals on defense, which gets my offense going!”: Warriors’ Gary Payton II shines yet again, talks about the Slam Dunk Contest, playing the small-ball 5

Raahib Singh
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"I'm not as offensively gifted as my dad, so I get steals on defense, which gets my offense going!": Warriors' Gary Payton II shines yet again, as the Warriors take down the Rockets

Warriors’ Gary Payton II shares his basketball discussions with his father, playing the small-man 5, and possible Dunk Contest entry

The Golden State Warriors are atop the league, yet again. It took over two years for us to find our stride, but now, we’re back at the top of the charts, with an impressive 8-1 record to show for it. The Warriors took down the Rockets 120-107 tonight, to improve to a 4-1 record on their eight-game homestand. They face Trae Young and the Hawks tomorrow, on the tail end of a back-to-back.

Jordan Poole continued to impress, as he scored 25 points and dished 5 assists. Stephen Curry played very limited minutes, scoring 20 points and recording 3 steals while doing so. Gary Payton II continued to win hearts, as he scored 10 points off the bench, recording 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals. He obviously added a few more plays to his highlight reels.

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Gary Payton II shares basketball discussions with his father, Gary Payton

Being the son of an NBA legend is never easy. You have high expectations to live up to, which causes a lot of pressure. GPII has been in 6 teams in 5 year NBA career. However, it seems like he’s finally found a place for himself with the Dubs. He’s been a delight for all Warriors fans, and has been excellent off the bench.

After the game, Payton II was asked about conversations with his dad, who was in attendance tonight. He replied and said,

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GP2 fits right into the Warriors small ball system, as he can space the floor, as well as play the 5 when needed. Talking about the same, he said,

GP2 bows out of the Slam Dunk Contest

After seeing all the highlight plays and dunks from Gary Payton II, many were considering him to be a shoo-in for the slam dunk contest. However, the Warriors guard has decided to gracefully bow out. Talking about the same, he said he lacked the creativity like the other guys. He claims to only dunk the way he can in-game.

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The way Payton has been doing, he has impressed everyone, including Joe Lacob. We all hope he can carry on with his form for the season and ahead.

About the author

Raahib Singh

Raahib Singh

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Raahib Singh is an NBA Journalist and Content Strategist at The SportsRush. A Computer Science Engineer by qualification, Raahib's passion for sports drew him towards TSR. He started playing basketball at 14 and has been following the NBA since 2013. His entry into the basketball world perfectly coincided with Stephen Curry putting the league on notice. Having followed the league for a long time, he decided to use his knowledge to become a sportswriter with The SportsRush in 2020. Raahib loves to put up some shots in his spare time, watch Cricket, Formula 1, and/or read a nice thriller.

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