Warriors give timeline on injuries to Iguodala and Payton
Gary Payton II will be re-evaluated in two weeks after elbow fracture
vs. Grizzlies
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: Golden State Warriors’ Andre
Iguodala (9) bows his head while the national anthem is played before
the start of their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Ray
Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 7: Golden State Warriors’ Andre
Iguodala (9) bows his head while the national anthem is played before
the start of their NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase
Center in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, April 7, 2022. (Ray
Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
By SHAYNA RUBIN | srubin@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 5, 2022 at 12:02 p.m. | UPDATED: May 5, 2022 at 12:55 p.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/05/warriors-give-timeline-on-injuries-to-iguodala-and-payton/

SAN FRANCISCO — Gary Payton II and Andre Iguodala will miss significant
time in these playoffs with injuries.

Payton, 29, will miss the remainder of the second-round series against
the Memphis Grizzlies with a fractured left elbow, the Warriors saying
he will be re-evaluated in two weeks. Should the Warriors advance,
there’s still hope Payton could return by the NBA Finals, per reports.

Iguodala, 38, will miss at least Games 3, 4 and possibly 5 of the
semi-finals series, which moves to Chase Center for the next two games.
The series is even after the Warriors took Game 1 on the road and
Memphis took Game 2.

Payton fractured his left elbow and sustained ligament damage in Game 2
when Dillon Brooks chased him down on a fast-break layup and whacked him
in the head as Payton was mid-air, sending him down hard to the ground
on his arm.

Brooks was issued a flagrant two foul and ejected. Brooks will be
suspended for Game 3 of the series.

Payton and Iguodala are huge losses for this series. The Warriors are in
desperate need of both players’ defense to limit a young, aggressive
team like Memphis with Ja Morant having his way on the offensive end so
far. Payton, one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA, could
have been the perfect foil for an on-ball force like Morant.

Should the Warriors advance, Payton’s absence could be a significant
blow in a potential match-up against the Phoenix Suns — he would be the
best defensive option against Devin Booker or Chris Paul.

Nursing a neck injury, Iguodala has missed four of the Warriors’ six
playoff games so far. An Iguodala return for this series could have
given the Warriors some much-needed IQ on the defensive end, especially
when Draymond Green needs to sit. A return for a possible Game 6 or 7 is
still in the cards.

--
Shayna Rubin | Oakland Athletics reporter