SAN FRANCISCO – The days of rehab, the hours of repetitive exercises, the monotonous stretches and crushing conditioning.
De’Anthony Melton survived that year-long grind, now almost ready to return to an NBA court for the first time since Nov. 12, 2024, when he tore his ACL. He then underwent surgery on Dec. 4.
“Being at home for 12 months straight, it was definitely tough,” Melton said. “I’m just grateful that I made it through.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Melton have both said he is expected to play at some point during the team’s upcoming Eastern Conference trip. He is not taking his time with the team for granted.
“I’m feeling amazing, honestly, just being back in the gym around the guys and having the ability to work out and help myself get better,” Melton said.
The 6-foot-2 combo guard is eager to show that he can be the same, disruptive defender and confident scorer he was before the catastrophic injury that cost him a year.
“From shooting, to playmaking, to defense, to IQ, I think I bring all of that stuff to the table,” Melton said.
Right now, the team’s focus is getting him back up to speed after a year spent rehabbing.
“The biggest thing is finding his conditioning and rhythm as he comes back,” Kerr said. “He just hasn’t played that much over the last year and a half.”
He joins a shooting guard rotation that is in sore need of his well-rounded skillset.
“Also being able to have a secondary ballhandler out there just to help break guys down and kick out, and at the same time, my ability to shoot and defend is something any team can use,” Melton said.
For starters, he is expected to be the team’s top point-of-attack guard defender. The team has been lit up by quick guards such as Milwaukee’s Ryan Rollins, Indiana’s Quenton Jackson and New Orleans’ Jeremiah Fears, and Melton’s skillset and quickness should help alleviate that.
And though he is point guard-sized, the USC product is more suited to the off-ball slot. Melton is a career 36.9% shooter from behind the arc, his best mark being 41.2% in 2020-21 for Memphis.
In 2022-23, his last full season, Melton took 47% of his shots off the catch but was a capable finisher inside as well, making 54.7% of his shots at the rim.
In that season, he also provided value as a ballhandler, providing 0.85 points per possession in about two pick-and-roll actions per game.
While the Warriors are not known as a prolific screen-and-roll team, his ability to playmake next to Curry and Butler should be a boon.
Why go back over two years, though, to describe Melton’s value to a team? Well, he has struggled to stay healthy since then.
He played in just 38 games in 2023-24, and then suited up in just half a dozen for Golden State before the knee injury.
Kerr said he will need to consult with team doctor Rick Celebrini before deciding whether or not Melton will play in back-to-backs this season.
Given his injury woes, the Warriors should be the ideal landing spot for Melton.
Kerr still has capable options such as Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard and Buddy Hield to deploy at the guard slot opposite Steph Curry, whose younger brother Seth should be a factor too.
But none of them bring the two-way dynamic Melton will, even if his minutes are limited at first.
“He’s a two-way player, he’s really good, fundamentally, in terms of taking care of the ball and decision-making,” Kerr said. “I say it all the time. It’s a decision-making sport, and De’Anthony is a guy who makes really good decisions at both ends.”