Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II recently returned after missing a month of action with a calf injury, but he reportedly is set to be sidelined once again.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Payton is expected to miss “several weeks” due to a left hamstring strain.
Payton suffered the injury in the third quarter of Golden State’s 121-115 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. It was just his second game back after missing the previous 13 games with a calf strain.
“I feel bad for him, more than anything. I feel bad for us, too, but mainly for him,” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said after the game. “He makes such a big impact for us.”
Payton has appeared in 16 games for the Warriors, who improved to 16-17 after ending a three-game losing streak with Tuesday’s win. He is averaging just 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals, but he’s an impact player off the bench for Golden State because of his stellar defense.
“He’s such a big part of our team,” Chris Paul said. “People may not realize it, but his energy is consistent every day–every practice, every game. Him coming back has been huge for us.”
Klay Thompson added, “He relieves so much pressure for us, as far as guarding. I’m sure we’re going to miss him, but we just want to be healthy.”
The Warriors have also been without Draymond Green amid his indefinite suspension, so they are now down their top two defenders.
The timing couldn’t be worse, as the Golden State will be hosting the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
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