Gary Payton II has a very simple message for those teams that are not giving the Warriors proper respect heading into the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Speaking with 95.7 The Game's "Steiny and Guru" on Thursday, Payton succinctly shared his thoughts about Golden State's detractors.
"I'll see you in the playoffs. We can figure it out in the playoffs," Payton said when asked what he would say to those that do not think Golden State should be feared come playoff time. "That's the only thing I can say: We'll figure it out in the playoffs.
"If you ain't there, I don't know what to tell you."
At 40-37, the Warriors currently occupy the sixth seed in the Western Conference, one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the fifth seed and one game ahead of the seventh-seeded New Orleans Pelicans.
Throughout the 2022-23 NBA season, the Warriors have hovered around .500, a record typically unbecoming of a defending champion. As a result, it makes sense why some teams feel the Warriors are beatable this season.
Golden State hopes that with Payton's return to the Bay Area, the Warriors potentially could regain some of the magic they had last season en route to their fourth championship in eight years.
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With another defensive presence in Payton patrolling the perimeter and terrorizing opposing guards and forwards alike, the Warriors slowly are appearing to be a squad no team wants to face in the playoffs.
And should that be the case, Payton certainly will have kept the receipts when the time comes.