There are many factors driving the Golden State Warriors’ midseason renaissance.The return of Draymond Green from an indefinite suspension is probably the biggest one.
Jonathan Kuminga’s meteoric rise definitely might be next. Andrew Wiggins’ rejuvenation can’t be discounted. Steve Kerr’s decision to commit to a small-ball starting lineup featuring all three of them up front has been an unmitigated success. Don’t forget that Stephen Curry is suddenly back to playing like a top-tier MVP candidate.
But it’s fair to say the Dubs’ major defensive turnaround looms largest, an especially frightening reality for the rest of the league considering their most disruptive perimeter defender is set to be back in the lineup. Gary Payton II is nowhere to be found on Golden State’s injury report for Saturday’s battle with the Phoenix Suns at Chase Center, clearing the way for him to return after missing the last five weeks of play due to a hamstring injury.
Payton last played against the Orlando Magic on January 2nd, forced to leave the game early after stumbling while hounding Cole Anthony in the backcourt. Two days later, Golden State announced that Payton was set to miss multiple weeks with a strained hamstring, an especially frustrating development because he’d only just earned a clean bill of health a few days earlier after missing the previous month of action with a calf injury.
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