3 NBA players outplaying their contract this season

NBA players out-playing their contract this season: Gary Payton II

Win Shares: 1.1

BPM: 5.1

Salary: $1.939 million, $350K guaranteed (vet minimum)

WS / ($M): 0.567 (NBA rank: 6, but first among non-rookie contracts)

BPM / ($M): 2.63 (NBA rank: 1)

The math is clear. Gary Payton II is quickly becoming the season’s biggest under-the-radar surprise. At the age of 28, GPII has finally gained enough offensive confidence from coach Steve Kerr to allow Payton to unleash his prodigious defensive talents on opposing ballhandlers.

Plenty of people have spoken highly of GPII’s defense in the past, but he’d never been allowed to play enough for his defense to really matter. However, he’s come out of the gates this year with insane energy and hops that have shocked even his Hall of Fame father:

Every time GPII gets in the game, he’s able to give the Warriors a boost with his effort level, and not just on defense. He cuts with purpose, attacks the rim with abandon, and has made just enough wide-open three-pointers (on meager volume) to be respectable.

The Warriors have used him much like the Nets have used Bruce Brown, another undersized, non-volume-shooting wing who acts like a center on offense. He basically never plays with a traditional big man on the floor, which lets him screen for shooters and then roll into open space.

When you only play 10-15 minutes a game, there’s no reason to hold back, and GPII leaves it all on the floor every night. He leads the league in traditional +/-, as well as steals per 36 minutes (min. 150 mins played).

Despite his scant minutes and unimpressive scoring numbers, Payton’s made major contributions to winning, and he’s going to be yet another interesting wrinkle for coach Steve Kerr to play with during the playoffs.