Buddy Hield says why ‘6-foot-2 center’ Gary Payton II is so important for the Warriors

Buddy Hield praises Gary Payton II’s performance vs Utah Jazz

Gary Payton II made his first start of the season against the Jazz on Monday night and immediately proved he should keep his place.

Draymond Green missed the game because of a foot sprain, allowing Payton II to play 20 minutes alongside the starters.

And the 32-year-old put up nine points, six rebounds, and a career-high eight assists in a very Green-like performance at the forward position.

OKC could go 74 wins or better!

Buddy Hield commended Payton II in his post-game press conference for always giving 100 percent effort to help the Warriors win.

“That’s Gary, man. He always knows how to contribute to this team. We call him the 6-foot-2 center,” Hield said, via NBC Sports.

“He’s an elite roller, an elite screener, and he’s the ultimate teammate. His main objective is to win, and you see why he’s a champion here.

“He knows how to connect the dots. He’s a good guy to connect the dots with Steph, finding guys open and playing his role at an elite level.”

Gary Payton II assumed Draymond Green’s role in Warriors’ lineup

Payton II admitted after the game that he was actively trying to replicate Green’s impact on the team in his absence.

“Yeah, I’m just trying to pick up where Dray left off,” he explained. “We needed to win tonight, so we needed to make sure we had his back, and fly around and do pretty much everything that he does.”

Green’s biggest responsibility is on the defensive end, so Payton II accepted the challenge of guarding the Jazz’s best player, Lauri Markkanen.

“Tonight, we knew the big fella (Lauri Markkanen) was going to be a big part of their offense, so I took on the challenge that Draymond would have taken on.

“Be everywhere, cause havoc, disrupt him a little bit, and try to get stops and go out and run,” he added.