Category: NBA

White voted second-most underrated NBA player in poll of his peers originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Derrick White doesn’t get the credit he deserves from the national media and NBA fans outside of Boston for how important he is to the Celtics’ success.

But his peers definitely recognize his value.

The Athletic on Tuesday released the results of its annual player poll. A total of 158 players (at least one from every team) were polled on a bunch of questions, including which team will win the 2025 NBA Finals, the most deserving MVP candidate, most overrated player, most underrated player, and several others.

White was tied with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams for the most underrated player in the league in last year’s poll. In 2025, he came in second place behind Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham. White received 7.4 percent of the vote, while Cunningham got 8.8 percent.

White averaged a career-high 16.4 points, along with 4.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game this season. He scored a team-leading 30 points on 10-for-18 shooting (7-for-12 from 3-point range) in Game 1 of the Celtics’ first-round playoff series versus the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

The veteran point guard wasn’t the only Celtics player who received votes in The Athletic’s poll for most underrated.

Celtics guard Jrue Holiday was tied for fifth place with 2.9 percent of the vote. C’s guard Payton Pritchard was one of six players in the next tier at 2.2 percent of the vote. Superstar forwards Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum received 1.5 percent each.

The Celtics were well-represented in other areas of the poll, too.

When asked which team will win the title this season, 57.7 percent of players voted for the Celtics. The Oklahoma City Thunder were second at 17.5 percent. Players weren’t allowed to vote for their own team.

Boston also came in third place (15.3 percent) for “best organization” behind the Thunder (17.5 percent) and Golden State Warriors (21.9 percent).

Joe Mazzulla received the fourth-most votes for best coach in the league.

“There are little things he takes advantage of,” one player said of Mazzulla, per The Athletic. “It seems like he thinks about the game very strategically. He takes advantage of every single, tiny, little thing that he can.”

Game 2 of Celtics-Magic is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Full coverage on NBC Sports Boston starts at 6 p.m. with Celtics Pregame Live.

Celtics' Payton Pritchard named 2025 NBA Sixth Man of the Year originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Payton Pritchard took his game to another level during the 2024-25 NBA season. On Tuesday, the Boston Celtics guard was recognized for his efforts.

Pritchard beat out Detroit Pistons sharpshooter Malik Beasley and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award.

Based on the voting results, Pritchard won the award rather easily.

It was a historic campaign for Pritchard, who surpassed Wayne Ellington for the most 3-pointers off the bench in a single NBA season. He made at least five 3-pointers in 22 games, setting a Celtics record previously held by Jayson Tatum (18).

Pritchard is the fourth player in Celtics franchise history to win the Sixth Man of the Year trophy — which is named after C’s legend John Havlicek — joining Kevin McHale (1984-85), Bill Walton (1985-86) and Malcolm Brogdon (2022-23).

Pritchard notched career-bests in every major category with 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 47.2 percent from the floor (40.7 percent from 3). The 27-year-old averaged a career-high 28.2 minutes per game.

The Celtics held on to Pritchard despite his asking for a trade during the 2022-23 season due to a lack of playing time. They committed to him with a four-year, $30 million contract extension before the 2023-24 campaign, and he has since proven to be worth every penny.

Pritchard had multiple big moments during the C’s 2024 championship run, including a wild buzzer-beater from beyond halfcourt in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. He picked up where he left off with a 19-point performance in Boston’s Game 1 win Sunday against the Orlando Magic.

Pritchard will look to carry that momentum into Wednesday’s Game 2 at TD Garden, which tips off at 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.

Warriors confident in new two-big lineup for short stints vs. Rockets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – Warriors rookie center Quinten Post never made it to March Madness in his five-year college career. The furthest he went was the NIT where he scored 22 points with nine rebounds and three blocked shots in his final game for Boston College, losing 79-70 to UNLV. 

Post, the Warriors’ second-round draft pick at No. 52 overall, didn’t even make his NBA debut until mid-January but soon after found himself in the rotation and has showcased his lack of fear is one of his best traits. He was a game-high plus-12 in the Warriors’ play-in tournament win against the Memphis Grizzlies to secure the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, when he scored 11 points with three 3-pointers and hauled in five rebounds. Still, the NBA playoffs are a different animal. 

The lights are brighter. The crowd is more intense. The games are more physical. 

He felt it, too.

“I was amped up,” Post told NBC Sports Bay Area on Tuesday after Warriors practice at the Toyota Center in preparation for Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. “I was ready to go. Throw my weight around. It was just cool.” 

In the Warriors’ 95-85 rock fight of a Game 1 win Sunday over the Rockets, Post didn’t just make his playoff debut, but was in more unknown territory. The 7-footer shared the floor alongside fellow center Kevon Looney for the first time. Post admitted he didn’t know coach Steve Kerr would use both players together, though he was comfortable with the combination. 

From their four regular-season games against each other, plus one in the NBA Cup, the difference in size between the two teams was obvious. The Warriors start 6-foot-6 Draymond Green at center and always are smaller than their opponent. The Rockets’ starting center is Alperen Şengün at 6-11, and they found a lot of success using a two-big lineup with him and Steven Adams together, who also is 6-11. 

They even put 6-10 Jabari Smith Jr. on the floor next to their two centers, and had a lineup at one point that featured Şengün, Adams, Smith, Tari Eason (6-8) and Amen Thompson (6-7). All are taller than Green, and the Warriors only have three players taller than those five Rockets – Post, Looney (6-9) and Trayce Jackson-Davis (6-9). 

Post and Looney’s few minutes together weren’t great overall. The first sample also didn’t cause Kerr any concerns. 

“They’ve never played together, but the playoffs sometimes dictate maybe a minute or two here and there,” Kerr said. “We obviously did it to combat their two bigs. We like it because Loon’s our best rebounder and Quinten’s one of our best shooters. We’re able to space the floor against them with those two big guys and present a little more size. 

“Actually, the most size we can.” 

Kerr isn’t going to play them next to each other for long stretches. If they are on the court together, it will be for short stints and based on the Rockets’ personnel. 

Post and Looney each were a plus-4 off the bench, and both had one rebound. Neither made a shot. Looney’s one shot was an airball as the shot clock expired and Adams was right on him. Post came up empty trying to dunk on Şengün and Eason, hit the back of the rim on his first 3-point attempt from the right wing and airballed his second three, with that one coming from the right corner. 

The duo spent two minutes and 15 seconds together in a lineup that also featured Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield and Jimmy Butler, and were outscored 3-0. Those numbers after one game haven’t changed any confidence Post and Looney have in forming their own two-big lineup. 

“I felt great with Loon on the floor,” Post said. “Loon does a lot of things that Draymond does. Obviously it was matchup dependent. They play very big. I didn’t expect it before the game, but I mean, at this point, you just do whatever to win and you try out some things to counter their size. I think we felt good out there, and we’ll see how it goes the next few games.” 

“My job doesn’t change when he’s out there,” Looney added. “He spaces the floor, he draws attention because he’s a great shooter. I don’t know if we’ll go back to it, but it was fun to be out there with him in a real game.” 

Looney early in his career played power forward next to big men like JaVale McGee and DeMarcus Cousins, who are both taller than him, like Post. But in this case, Post, who stands three inches taller than Looney, takes on more of a power forward role with Looney still having center duties. 

With his experience next to Green, sliding down from the five to four isn’t a major change for Post. 

“I’m more like the four,” Post explained about playing with Looney. “Even with Draymond I play almost like a four offensively. He’s in most of the actions. Right now, that’s just what has worked in those lineups with my ability to space the floor, so that’s just kind of how we do it.” 

The playoffs are all about tweaks and adjustments. Rockets coach Ime Udoka is sure to throw something different at the Warriors after having 22 offensive rebounds, 16 more than Golden State, but finding little to no halfcourt offense and outside shooting. If he continues to throw towering lineups out there, Kerr is fine giving them more Post and Looney. 

Good butterflies are sure to flutter again before Game 2 for Post. His heart will race, as it should, but he knows getting that first game done already has him feeling a new sense of calmness and composure. 

“One hundred percent,” Post says. “Now it’ll definitely become a little easier. I did definitely have some nerves going into the game. I could have been sharper in some of the decisions I made on the court, and I think getting that Game 1 out of the way, it’ll become easier.”

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Horford has strong reaction to KCP's flagrant foul on Tatum originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum suffered a wrist injury after a hard foul by Orlando Magic guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon.

Caldwell-Pope was called for a flagrant foul after an official’s review of the play in the fourth quarter. Tatum landed hard on his right wrist as a result of the play. He remained in the game despite lying on the floor flexing his wrist for a little bit after the contact from KCP.

The C’s ended up winning 103-86.

Celtics big man Al Horford was not a fan of the play. He immediately defended Tatum in the moment, and had more comments about the play when asked by reporters Tuesday.

“There was something extra,” Horford said. “It was about the second or third time they, especially KCP, went at him in that way.”

Horford didn’t specify the other one or two instances that Caldwell-Pope went at Tatum. Caldwell-Pope did foul Tatum hard with 8:58 left in the first quarter as the Celtics forward drove to the basket. KCP hacked Tatum’s arm (watch a replay here).

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after Tuesday’s practice that Tatum is “day to day” ahead of Wednesday night’s Game 2 in Boston.

It was obvious that the Magic tried to establish a physical tone early in Game 1, and that includes whoever is guarding Tatum. The Magic were the more physical team in the first half, but the Celtics did a good job ramping up their own intensity in the second half en route to a comfortable win.

This strategy by the Magic isn’t likely to change. They have a lot less talent and depth than the Celtics. Mucking up the game and slowing it down is one of the few ways for Orlando to potentially keep the score close in the fourth quarter.

Tatum diagnosed with ‘bone bruise' in injured wrist after MRI: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jayson Tatum appears to have avoided a serious injury to his right wrist. But it sounds like the ailment isn’t going away any time soon.

The Celtics star confirmed he underwent an MRI on his wrist Sunday afternoon after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hard foul sent him to the floor in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic at TD Garden.

On Tuesday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the MRI revealed a “bone bruise” in Tatum’s right wrist.

“It’s believed to be a pain tolerance injury — something that the Celtics will be managing day-to-day,” Charania said on SportsCenter.

Tatum’s status is “somewhat up in the air” for Game 2 of the teams’ first-round series Wednesday, per Charania, who added the injury “clearly might be something that lingers for a little bit.”

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla also deemed Tatum “day-to-day” on Tuesday, noting that Tatum “was able to do some stuff” at Boston’s practice.

“He was sore after the game; he’s gotten a little bit better today,” Mazzulla said of Tatum. “He was able to go through some on-court work and we’ll go from there.”

Assuming Tatum doesn’t have any structural damage in his wrist, that’s good news for the Celtics. But his injury certainly is worth monitoring, especially if it impacts his shot.

The All-Star forward shot just 36.4 percent (8 for 22) from the floor in Game 1 and struggled with his shot last postseason as well, making just 42.7 percent of his field goals and 28.3 percent of his 3-pointers.

It’s hard to imagine Tatum missing Game 2, especially since he stayed in the game Sunday after the injury. But if Tatum’s wrist continues to bother him over the next few games, it’s in the Celtics’ best interest to end their first-round series with the Magic as soon as possible to buy him some time to rest and recover ahead of Round 2.

NBC Sports Boston’s coverage of Game 2 begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live ahead of tip-off at 7 p.m. ET with Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine on the call.

Anonymous NBA players view Butler, Draymond among ‘most overrated' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Both Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have been integral to the Warriors’ success throughout the 2024-25 NBA season, but maybe not as integral as you might think.

At least according to their peers.

The Athletic released its annual player survey, where NBA players anonymously answered a series of league-related questions. The answers to one question, in particular, might be interesting to Dub Nation.

Who is the league’s most overrated player?
90 votes cast

Tyrese Haliburton: 14.4%
Rudy Gobert: 10.0%
Trae Young: 8.9%
Jimmy Butler: 5.5%
Bradley Beal: 4.4%
Draymond Green: 4.4%
Ja Morant: 4.4%
Julius Randle: 4.4%
Joel Embiid: 3.3%
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 2.2%
Dillon Brooks: 2.2%
Paul George: 2.2%
Tyler Herro: 2.2%
Jrue Holiday: 2.2%
Jaren Jackson Jr.: 2.2%
LeBron James: 2.2%
Kyle Kuzma: 2.2%
Domantas Sabonis: 2.2%
Zion Williamson: 2.2%
No one who reached the NBA is overrated: 2.2%

Others receiving votes (1.1% apiece): LaMelo Ball, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Jaylen Brown, Anthony Davis, Anthony Edwards, Josh Giddey, Jock Landale, Zach LaVine, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Chris Paul, Jayson Tatum, Franz Wagner.

While it might be fair to say Butler and Green are polarizing players, there’s no questioning the impact they have had on the Warriors both in years past, in Green’s case, and this season.

One is a finalist for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award, while the other single-handedly transformed Golden State into a potential title contender after his arrival in a blockbuster trade on Feb. 5.

Regardless of how some NBA players might view Green and Butler, their value certainly is not lost on the Warriors.

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Mazzulla explains viral Tatum injury exchange with one-word answer originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The health of Jayson Tatum is an obvious storyline after the Boston Celtics star needed an X-ray on his right wrist following a hard fall in Game 1 of the team’s first-round playoff matchup with the Orlando Magic on Sunday.

But head coach Joe Mazzulla also inserted himself into the discussion with his reaction to Tatum’s injury.

As Tatum writhed on the TD Garden parquet in pain after Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s hard foul, cameras caught Mazzulla telling one of Boston’s trainers not to go on the court to check on the Celtics star before barking, “Get up!” in Tatum’s direction.

It’s not often you see an NBA head coach yell at his star player to get up after an apparent injury. So, what message was Mazzulla trying to send in that moment?

“Love,” Mazzulla responded Tuesday at Boston’s shootaround.

That’s an odd answer on its face, but it’s on-brand for Mazzulla, who often implores his players to embrace setbacks and adversity. When a hard foul from the Miami Heat’s Caleb Martin gave Tatum an injury scare in the first round of the 2024 playoffs, for example, Mazzulla said he was “excited about the whole situation” and “enjoyed watching it.”

Celtics big man Al Horford offered a helpful translation of Mazzulla’s message Tuesday.

“Our team has taken after Joe and the way that he is,” Horford told reporters. “We want to play hard; we want to compete, That’s the mindset that we carry. Joe is competitive — just as competitive as we are.”

As for Tatum’s status, Mazzulla said the All-Star forward was “able to do some stuff” at Tuesday’s practice and is currently considered “day-to-day.”

“He was sore after the game; he’s gotten a little bit better today,” Mazzulla said. “He was able to go through some on-court work and we’ll go from there.”

Tatum stayed in the game Sunday after his injury, so it’d be surprising if he didn’t suit up Wednesday for Game 2. But it’s worth monitoring whether the ailment impacts his shot going forward.

NBC Sports Boston’s coverage of Game 2 begins Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live ahead of tip-off at 7 p.m. ET with Drew Carter and Brian Scalabrine on the call.

Undersized Pritchard does all the big-boy stuff for Celtics originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Payton Pritchard should win NBA Sixth Man of the Year on Tuesday night, and the highlight package to announce the honor will invariably show a barrage of his 3-point shots. 

That’s understandable. Part of the reason that Pritchard will be collecting the John Havlicek Trophy and etching a new chapter in Boston’s storied history of sixth men is because he piled up an NBA record 246 3-pointers off the bench this season.

But while those triples — especially the thrilling half-court buzzer beaters — get much of the attention, the most remarkable thing about Pritchard might just be all the big-guy stuff this little guy does.

At 6-foot-1, Pritchard is the shortest player on Boston’s roster — by three inches before fellow 6-foot-1 guard J.D. Davison got the late-season call up — and is routinely the smallest player on the floor during his court time. And yet Pritchard has become one of the best undersized finishers in the league around the basket, and he piles up offensive rebounds at a rate that would make most 7-footers blush.

Pritchard shot a career-best 75.4 percent at the rim this season, connecting on 98 of 130 shot attempts near the basket. Of the 105 guards with at least 100-plus attempts at the rim, the only pure guard who finished with a higher efficiency was Golden State’s 6-foot-2 Gary Payton II (79.4 percent). 

Pritchard’s ability to create space around the basket is uncanny and showcases his incredible feel for the game. In Sunday’s Game 1 against the Magic, he blew past Orlando big man Wendell Carter Jr., who pursued from behind. With Paolo Banchero lingering near the rim, Pritchard sensed the sliver of space available and went up quick with a layup between both players. 

More often, Pritchard will generate a one-on-one matchup with a guard and use a little forearm shove to create just enough space to finish at the rim. After shooting 56.9 percent at the rim in his first three seasons in the NBA, Pritchard is now at 74.6 percent at the rim over the past two seasons.

“I think it’s just the understanding of like when it’s a 1-on-1 coverage,” Pritchard says. “If it’s two on the ball at the rim, then I got to kick it out.

“But I’ve gotten good at the point where, if it’s just 1-on-1, me and another defender down there, then I’ve figured out angles and how to use my body to get enough separation to get it up quickly. So just from a lot of practice and work, foot work and stuff down there.”

That footwork tied Orlando’s Cole Anthony in a pretzel during the first half of Sunday’s Game 1. After spinning to the free throw line on a second-quarter drive, Pritchard tried to create space with a little forearm shove, but Anthony stuck close and immediately left his feet to contest. Pritchard patiently stayed on two feet and instead stepped through the contest for an easy left-handed layup before Carter Jr. could arrive with help. 

Pritchard has become masterful at creating space around the basket, particularly with those quick bumps to a backpedaling defender. 

“It’s like a rib shot,” said Pritchard. “[Defenders are] not going to necessarily take a charge down there. So give a little bump and all you need is a little separation.”

When he’s not scoring amongst the trees, Pritchard has an uncanny knack for tracking down misses in the same forest. Pritchard posted a career-best mark in offensive rebound percentage this season while corralling 4.2 percent of his team’s total misses. 

For the second straight season, Boston’s offensive rebound rate spiked with Pritchard on the court.

Boston’s rate was 5.3 percent higher in Pritchard’s minutes, ranking in the 93rd percentile for differential among all NBA players, per Cleaning the Glass tracking. Only Luke Kornet (190) totaled more offensive rebounds on the Celtics’ roster this season. 

The more eye-popping number is when you look at his offensive rebound totals compared to other guards. 

All of Pritchard’s numbers this season tend to jump off the page. His 1,079 bench points led the NBA, and he’s only the fourth Celtics player in team history to reach that 1,000-point plateau off the bench, joining Kevin McHale (three times), Ricky Davis, and Malcolm Brogdon.

Pritchard had 23 games with 20-plus bench points (best in the NBA), and his 22 games with five-plus 3-pointers were a franchise record (and second in NBA history behind only Detroit’s Malik Beasley). 

Pritchard finished with 255 total 3-pointers, the second-highest total in team history, trailing only Derrick White, who hit 265 this season.

The 3s are nice and ultimately will be what everyone fixates on. But the big-guy things that Pritchard does are the real reasons why he’s the best bench boost in the league.

Thunder star throws subtle shade at Draymond for DPOY nomination originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort is not one of the three finalists for this year’s NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, and his teammates immediately came to his defense — by throwing a shot at Warriors forward Draymond Green.

Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein was asked Monday what he thinks voters missed by leaving Dort off the finalist list, to which he offered a sarcastic suggestion.

“I might need to get a podcast with Lu,” Hartenstein said (h/t OKC Thunder Wire’s Clemente Almanza). “I don’t know. Maybe that. If you’ve watched him all year, he’s been great. The finalists are great defenders, but watching Lu do what he does on a nightly basis, I think that’s what people don’t see with the stats that don’t show.

“He’s been great all year. To me, he’s Defensive Player of the Year.”

Isaiah Hartenstein on Lu Dort not being a DPOY finalist “I might need to get a podcast with Lu.” pic.twitter.com/mlVQ9GF5gy

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 21, 2025

Green, of course, has his well-known podcast, “The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis,” which launched in 2021. He originally was ridiculed for hosting a podcast while the NBA season was ongoing, but the criticism died down after Green helped the Warriors win their fourth title in 2022.

Green now is vying for his second career DPOY nod after averaging 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks while finishing with a 108.8 defensive rating in 68 games this season.

Atlanta Hawks wing Dyson Daniels and Cleveland Cavaliers center Evan Mobley join Green as DPOY finalists.

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Report: Nets could be Kuminga sign-and-trade destination for Warriors originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jonathan Kuminga’s future with the Warriors quickly has become cloudy after recently falling out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

If a divorce occurs this offseason, NBA contributor Marc Stein reported in his latest Substack that the Brooklyn Nets could be a potential landing spot for the 22-year-old forward, who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

“The Brooklyn Nets have long loomed as a potential suitor that the Warriors have been monitoring given the Nets’ projected cap space,” Stein wrote. “Brooklyn’s true level of interest remains to be seen, but Kuminga could not come to terms with Golden State last fall when he was seeking a contract higher than the $30 million in average annual salary that went to fellow Class of 2021 first-round draftees Jalen Suggs (Orlando) and Jalen Johnson (Atlanta).

“The Nets, at present, are projected to be the only team with $40 million in salary cap space this summer, theoretically positioning them to mount a firm Kuminga pursuit if they wish. That lack of abundant cap space has led various team strategists this week to suggest that a sign-and-trade could be the ultimate mechanism that delivers the former No. 7 pick out of the Bay Area come July.”

Stein also reported, citing league sources, that Kerr and other Warriors decision-makers have been hoping for more development from Kuminga since selecting him No. 7 overall in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kuminga hasn’t played in Golden State’s last three games, but in 47 contests (10 starts) this season, he averaged 15.3 points on 45.4 percent shooting, with 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes.

He played some of the best basketball of his career from late December through early January before suffering an ankle injury that kept him off the floor for two months. And after Golden State acquired six-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler, Kerr admitted it’s been difficult to find a rotational fit for Kuminga.

Draymond Green expressed confidence that Kuminga would get some action during Golden State’s current first-round playoff matchup with the young and athletic Houston Rockets. Kuminga was a DNP in Game 1, and how this series unfolds could be telling for his future with the team.

Kuminga and the Warriors attempted to work out an extension entering the 2024-25 season, but both sides weren’t able to reach an agreement before last October’s deadline. Brooklyn finished the regular season 12th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-56 record and is focused on building toward the future. The Nets have the financial flexibility to pry Kuminga away from the Warriors.

Given Kuminga’s restricted status, Golden State will have the opportunity to match any offer that the forward receives in free agency. But what could that look like? Only time will tell.

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Warriors' GP2 not defined by name, but through story inked on his body originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

HOUSTON – The modern NBA is a search for 3-and-D players, combining someone’s ability to possess the size of a wing who can lock up defensively and be a knock-down shooter from long distance. Really, the league is littered with specialists. 

Rim protectors. Lob threats. Energizers. Sharpshooters, bench buckets, and defensive pests. It’s all about knowing your role. 

Jamal Crawford carved out a career that spanned two decades of coming off the bench and scoring at will, earning him three Sixth Man of the Year awards. Gary Payton II is the opposite for the Warriors. 

If a team has someone on a heater, coach Steve Kerr knows Payton can take off his warmup gear, toss a player in the freezer and shift the game in the Warriors’ favor. 

In the same mold as his father, Payton was a two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, but he also averaged 14.3 points in his two years at Oregon State with the ball in his hands and was given scoring duties throughout his time in the G League. Teams couldn’t find the right fit for Payton, until he finally broke through in his age-29 season with the Warriors in their 2021-22 NBA championship campaign as a puzzling player who doesn’t fit the mold of his size.

“Teams are going to live with me taking shots and for me to try to beat them,” Payton tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “If I can help out with 10, 15 points each game and get Steph [Curry] and Jimmy [Butler] their points, that’s just another thing you have to worry about.” 

Payton’s shot evaporated into the ether to begin the 2024-25 NBA season, making only five of his 32 3-point attempts (15.6 percent) from opening night through the Warriors’ loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas. He then missed the Warriors’ next 10 games to injury, but his left hand found the magic touch, shooting 41.3 percent on threes (26 of 63) the rest of the regular season in 34 games. 

He’s listed at 6-foot-2, but has a 6-foot-8 wingspan and cosplays as Doc Ock with arms growing every which way to cause other teams nightmares. He’s a point guard defensively and a power forward offensively, sneaking behind on the baseline and dunking on the heads of 7-footers.

Kerr in his 15-year playing career and 11 years as the Warriors’ coach has seen every type of player. He only has witnessed the complexity of one GP2. There is no comparison. 

“Nobody. I’ve never seen a player like Gary,” Kerr says. 

Payton’s story could have been written in nepotism as yet another son of a former NBA star and Hall of Famer. Payton could have let his namesake define him. Really, his story is written in ink all over his body, a plethora of characters representing different steps of triumphs and tribulations for the 32-year-old. 

Lilies on the front side of his left shoulder in honor of his mother, Monique, were Payton’s first tattoo at 18 years old. Now, he’s covered in tats everywhere, but it’s the wide range of people that stand out most. 

There’s Gandhi and Bob Marley, but also characters like Heath Ledger’s Joker, Neytiri from Avatar and comic book character Hellboy. 

The Gandhi tattoo stems from a period in Payton’s life where he had to find a calmness with his journey and embrace mindfulness in adversity, not trying to fight and rush life’s process but to be at peace with it. Putting Marley on his body was a similar reminder that as his own lyrics go, everything is going to be all right.

When Payton left the Warriors to sign a bigger contract with the Portland Trail Blazers in the summer of 2022, he entered unfamiliar terrain, which sparked his motivation to get the Avatar tattoo. Hellboy is a “be-you tattoo,” Payton says, staying in the shadows but being himself to shine a light on who he has become. 

Of all his tattoos, though, which one explains who Payton the basketball player is? 

The choice wasn’t intentional. The meaning wasn’t about basketball, but after a quick pause, Payton has his answer.

“I got Davy Jones on my shoulder, Captain Davy Jones,” he says. “Davy, he’s got two sides to him – night and day. When he comes out with his crew, he’s a captain. He’s a leader, for sure. He sets the tone for the crew and everything they’re trying to get done. Captain Davy Jones would probably be that on-court one.” 

But Payton’s most meaningful tattoo is one of his smaller ones: A Golden Snitch on the back of his neck. 

Think about it. Payton was born to be a Seeker in the world of “Harry Potter,” zooming past his competition with eyes on the prize, never losing sight of what it takes to win. Just like him coming out of nowhere for a game-breaking steal on the hardwood, Payton can close his eyes and see himself flying through the air, snatching the Golden Snitch and hearing his chosen house cheer in victory. 

He even added a Sirius Black tattoo last summer, and went to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Payton couldn’t decide on a broom then, but will have one hanging in his house soon enough. 

“Having that determination and that motive to lock in,” Payton says of his Golden Snitch tattoo. “You got to squint – you may see it, you may not. It’s just like, you may see the end of the road and you may not. You just got to push and keep going.” 

All this sounds like someone who should be draped in the scarlet red and gold of Gryffindor. Again, never put Payton in a box. He’s a Slytherin, he says, and even has a Lord Voldemort tattoo on the backside of his left shoulder. 

“They’re not all a–holes,” he reminds me. “There’s some cool ones. There’s Snape. You thought you knew Snape, but Snape was solid.” 

It’s the fourth quarter of the Warriors’ NBA play-in tournament game last week and they’re down by one point with seven minutes left. Jimmy Butler gets fouled by Scotty Pippen Jr. to take his 17th and 18th free throws of the game, making both and putting the Warriors ahead by one point. Before getting the ball at the charity stripe, Payton shows why Warriors fans have adored him over the years. 

Off the court he’s an advocate for dyslexia as someone who has dealt with it as well. Payton also invested in and partnered with SUPLMNT, a Black-owned water bottle brand that focuses on hydration being part of the culture. He can’t hop on a board anymore, but Payton has a big part in the Skateboard Association (SBA) launching this summer. True to himself, his story is written in only ways he knows how.

On the court, he’s menace for the team across from him and a lovable figure to those who root for him. As Butler heads to the free-throw line, Payton tosses the ball back and forth with an older woman whose short, nearly translucent white hair shimmers off the Chase Center lights. Her smile is seen from press row high above her, giving the crowd a lighthearted moment while the scene calls for heart-pumping stress and anxiety. 

As someone who grew up around the game and NBA arenas, Payton learned at a young age how far those gestures can go for fans who use their money to watch people play a game. The players, the fans and everybody in the building need a lesson in joy, and Payton is happy to provide it. 

“I told myself if I ever got in a position to be able to do that, just to give back that moment, I know how far that goes, especially for a fan – how long and how far those moments go,” Payton says. 

Nothing will make him happier than a second championship parade. That means more ink, too. Payton got a tattoo of himself flexing from the 2022 NBA Finals on the back of his left leg, and already has an idea of a trophy if the Warriors can complete the mission this year. Another ring also would give him the bragging rights he always dreamed of. 

He and his father both are one-time NBA champions, for now. The original Gary Payton can have a closet full of accolades, but that isn’t going to deter his son from smack-talking one of the game’s greatest wordsmiths. 

“Overall basketball player, I’m better for sure,” Payton says. “You can have your Hall of Fame. Yeah, you’re good. You got the numbers. You’re cool. Overall, I’m the better basketball player.” 

His story could have ended how it began, being defined by a name. That’s not Gary Payton II. Every day his tale is told his own way, through tattoos and grinning at the game of life and basketball, one day at a time.

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Kawhi Leonard hit 39 points as the Los Angeles Clippers levelled their first-round play-off series with a thrilling 105-102 win over the Denver Nuggets.

The 33-year-old converted 15 of his 19 shots, helping the Clippers bounce back after an overtime defeat in game one.

The Nuggets had the chance to send game two to overtime but Christian Braun missed with a three-pointer with six seconds left, while Nikola Jokic failed with the rebound.

"It felt like he didn't miss a shot. His shot-making ability is elite," said team-mate James Harden.

"That's the aggressiveness we need from him. No matter who is guarding him. He just got to a spot and raised it up.

"He's a big-time player and he played big time tonight."

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said: "This is what Kawhi lives for. If we have a healthy Kawhi then we can win any series."

Jokic hit 26 points for the Nuggets as well as 12 rebounds and 10 assists, while Jamal Murray added 23 points.

Game three of the series is on 25 April (03:00 BST).

Pistons hit back against Knicks

The Detroit Pistons broke a 15-game play-off losing streak by beating the New York Knicks 100-94 to level their Eastern Conference first-round play-off.

Cade Cunningham hit 33 points for the Pistons while Dennis Schroder added 20 points from the bench.

The victory was the Pistons' first in the play-offs since game four of the 2008 Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics.

"We did what we were supposed to do. And that was it," said Pistons coach JB Bickerstaff.

"To win a game on the road to get home court was what we came here for."

Game three of the series is on 25 April (00:00 BST).

• Curry leads Warriors to play-off win at Rockets