Los Angeles Lakers: Can Gary Payton II make an impact?

How does Gary Payton II fit with the Los Angeles Lakers after his first appearance?

The Los Angeles Lakers signed guard Gary Payton II to a two-way contract for the remainder of the season on Jan. 15. This deal provides insurance for the Lakers with Lonzo Ball managing a left knee sprain and point guard being a position of weakness for this team.

Payton, son of NBA Hall-of-Famer Gary Payton, joins the Lakers after spending the majority of the past two seasons in the NBA G League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2016-17 before signing a late-season deal with the Milwaukee Bucks a year ago. Payton remained with the Bucks this season, penning a two-way contract and appearing in 12 games before being waived in December.

Payton rarely played for the playoff-bound Bucks, but his G League numbers were pretty good. He’s averaged 14.4 points per game, shooting 49.5 percent from the field in his short G League career. He filled the stat sheet elsewhere, too, grabbing 6.6 rebounds, dishing out 3.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game in 52 appearances.

He joins fellow lead guard Alex Caruso as the second player the Los Angeles Lakers have signed to a two-way contract, Payton probably won’t get much playing time unless injuries continue and/or the Lakers remain this distant in the playoff race, but I think his skill-set has a place on this roster, something evident from his first appearance with the Lakers.

Payton received his first action with the Lakers on Jan. 15 against the Memphis Grizzlies, scoring four points and providing four assists playing the entire fourth quarter. The Lakers were down 97-77 entering the final frame, but saw their young lineup trim the lead to eight before Memphis settled for a comfortable nine-point win.

But there were positives to take away from that final 12 minutes of action with Payton at the point, who showcased what he brings to a NBA roster.

He kept the ball moving, ran some solid pick-and-rolls and navigated his way through space a couple times to finish a pair of floaters off the glass. Payton understands how to change his pace and find his shot in the paint, something the Lakers desperately need given their lack of players that can break a defense down.

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His four assists were most impressive to me, though. Payton threw some pretty passes right into the shooter’s sweet spots, including a perfect bounce pass to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for an open 3. His distributing and willingness to share the ball will be welcomed within the Lakers’ system.

Payton’s offensive game does have its limitations with his inability to shoot well from deep, but this can be offset by the amount of space the Lakers typically play with. He moves well off the ball, finding the space previously occupied by defenders helping on drives. As long as Payton isn’t playing next to two other non-floor spacers, he won’t be a liability offensively.

Payton is a solid defender as well, showing an ability to pressure the ball to pair with his understanding of rotations and knack for getting his hand on the ball. He needs to clean up his fouling tendency (four in the Memphis game), but could be another feisty guard to throw at opponents.

I didn’t expect him to get playing time in his first game with the Lakers, but his performance in the fourth reaffirmed my feelings about Gary Payton II signing. He can play either guard spot, fits the pass-first, uptempo system the Lakers play, and offers upside on the defensive end.

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His shooting is the main concern, but there are ways to mask this shortcoming, like the Lakers did by playing him with two other guards and Kyle Kuzma. The floor was open for him to operate and he led the team to a 37-point fourth quarter. I’ve liked what Tyler Ennis brought to the table for the second unit at times, but the smoothness and defensive of Payton has me thinking GP2 should get the minutes.

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