Why losing Melton deals a massive blow to Warriors hopes originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – After revamping their roster over the summer, the Warriors were pleased with their work. They didn’t get an All-Star to fill the void created by the departure of Klay Thompsonso they would do it by committee.
Not until the 10th game of the 2024-25 NBA season, De’Anthony Melton’s first as a starter, was everything coach Steve Kerr and his staff hoped for — a set starting lineup, stability with rotations, the entire vision for the roster – fell into place
Of the three veterans acquired in the offseason, Melton would be the only one to crack the starting lineup. And he would play alongside Stephen Curry in the backcourt.
That only lasted two games. Melton sustained a sprained left ACL on Nov. 12 against the Dallas Mavericks, and the Warriors announced that on Wednesday he will undergo an operation and miss the rest of the season.
Golden State’s best-laid plan was burned before the season was a month old.
“I feel so bad for De’Anthony,” Kerr said Wednesday, two hours before a blowout against the Atlanta Hawks. “He is so perfect for us and we were so excited to have him. He’s clearly going to be our starter next to Steph.”
With Melton out, Lindy Waters III, who was acquired in June trade with Oklahoma City, will move into the starting lineup alongside Curry. Currently
“I liked Lindy in the starting lineup the other night,” Kerr said of Waters, who had six points, five rebounds and three steals in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. “He started last [two]. He will start tonight. Lindy is a very good player, a really good two-way player. He fills that role well, so we’ll keep starting him and see how it goes.”
Waters isn’t quite the Bulldog point guard that Melton is, but he’s a little taller (6-foot-6 to 6-foot-3) and a natural 3-point shooter. This is not necessarily permanent. Other possible options to play alongside Curry are Moses Moody, who brings similar skills to Waters but has a clear role in the second unit, and Brandin Podziemski, who anchors the second unit.
“BP is another good option, and may end up there, depending on how things go,” Kerr said. “But I like Lindy’s off-ball shooting to go with that first group. We play two big ones [Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson]so you want as much shooting as possible. And he keeps the ball very well. He just makes a lot of sense.
“But BP could also fit that role well.”
Make no mistake, though, this is an absolute Plan B move out of necessity. It changes the lineup, which changes the rotations, which affects overall roster usage. Maybe there is a Plan C or D or E.
A Curry-Melton backcourt was pictured until June, even before him signed a one-year contract worth $12.8 on July 8. On-ball defense was a weakness for the Warriors last season, and it contributed greatly to them finishing with the 15th-ranked defense in the league.
No one on the free agent market handled that better than Melton, who was high on the list of reasons the Warriors climbed to fourth in defensive rating.
The Warriors must now look for new combinations that can deliver what they envisioned before Melton went down.
“You want to stack as many two-way guys as you can in this league, and they’re not easy to come by,” Kerr said. “Fortunately, we have a deep team. Guys will be ready to step up. We have to keep looking at different combinations and put the best ones on the floor.”
Kerr added that there has been contact with Melton’s agent about his free agency next summer, and he hopes for the guard’s return to the Warriors.
