When you think of the Golden State Warriors, you instantly think of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Chris Paul. Yet, it was Gary Payton II and Kevon Looney who received praise following their roles in the Warriors’ win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday (April 7).
Head coach Steve Kerr praised his two veteran role players when speaking to the media after the game. He noted how their play styles are important to the roster and how both players can be relied upon night in and night out.
“I love watching Gary play,” Kerr said. “There’s an energy about him. He also makes the right play. Constantly catching the ball and swinging it. That’s the way he can dive and finish at the rim. He’s a terrific player. I thought Loon was great tonight. He’s been out of the rotation quite a bit. I hated ending his consecutive-game streak. It was awful. But we did what we needed to do to get our team going…Now, he’s played the last five games…Really fun to see him out there.”
Looney and Payton II have been in and out of Golden State’s rotation this season due to lineup management or injury. Nevertheless, both veterans have been impactful on the court when healthy and in the rotation.
Kerr shares why GP2 and Loon are invaluable to the Warriors' success 🙌 pic.twitter.com/KJ51rV2OzT
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 8, 2024
Golden State will need their role players to continue stepping up in the coming weeks. The franchise has a tough road to the playoffs, with two play-in tournament games potentially on the horizon.
