Gary Payton II injury update: Why isn’t Portland Trail Blazers star playing and what is known so far?

Gary Payton II is yet to make his debut for the Portland Trailblazers. On the heels of winning a championship with the Golden State Warriors last season, the second-generation hooper signed with the Portland Trailblazers. After signing a 2-year, $26 million contract with a player option in the third year. Payton then underwent abdominal surgery.

With his return rumored this past week, Payton still hasn't touched the floor. The hope was that he would play for the first time since the playoffs on the 29th against the Golden State Warriors. However, he was ruled out pregame. The team currently sits in eighth place with an 18-17 record, fighting to compete in a stacked Western Conference.

After Payton was ruled out despite being medically cleared to play in Friday's game, head coach Chauncy Billups spoke about his efforts to return. Although the team and Payton have put a tremendous amount into getting him physically fit to return, there's a mental component he's still struggling with.

“He’s working his behind off to get back, he’s close, very close. Medically we’ve and he’s done everything that he can do. I always tell people a lot of times like nobody really understands like when you have an injury, you have surgery, there’s not just the physical component that you have to get over, there’s a mental component as well."

"You don’t want to get hurt again, you don’t want to re-injure yourself, and I think that that’s kind of where it is with G is like, he’s just trying to get over that.”

You can see coverage of Gary Payton's injury and surgery in the video below.

The Portland Trail Blazers need Gary Payton back

It's certainly no secret that the Portland Trail Blazers need Gary Payton. The former G League Defensive Player of the Year has proven himself to be an asset on both ends of the floor. In addition to averaging 1.4 steals per game, he averaged an incredibly efficient 61.6% field goal percentage throughout last season.

Gary Payton II (2022 NBA Finals - Game Three)

With all of that said, it's also no secret that Payton made the biggest impact on the defensive end of the floor. Through 17.6 minutes averaged last season and 16.9 minutes averaged in the playoffs, Payton continued to prove why he belongs in the league.

After a two-year college career that saw him go undrafted in 2016, he bounced around the league on short contracts, making appearances in the G League and in the NBA. It wasn't until the 2021 G League draft that Payton really found his home. With the 15th pick of the 20th G League draft, the Raptors 905 selected the second-generation hooper.

There, he averaged 10.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game, earning himself Defensive Player of the Year honors. After his impressive 2021 DPOY campaign in the G League, Payton was signed to a 10-day contract by the Warriors, and the rest, as they say, is history.

(Suggested Reading: NBA weekly stat leaders week of December 31st)