The Golden State Warriors announced on November 14 that starting guard De’Anthony Melton “has a sprained left ACL and will undergo further tests.”
Melton started the last two games at shooting guard, with the Warriors winning both games against their Western Conference rivals Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
In those two wins, Melton averaged 16.5 points on 47.8% shooting with 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals as the perfect complementary to Stephen Curry in the Warriors starting backcourt. The 6-foot-3 Melton also made seven 3-pointers during that stretch.
“It’s disappointing,” Kerr said, per NBC Sports Bay Area, after their November 14 practice. “That was really the perfect mix. De’Anthony does a little bit of everything: on-ball defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting, playmaking. It was great fit, and that’s why we targeted him.
“The fact that he’s going to be out the next game is a bummer. We were finding some momentum. We’ll see how this unfolds. We’ve got options, we’ve got a lot of depth, and we were very capable of filling in. But it’s very disappointing for him and for us.”
Kerr has yet to make up his mind on who will take over Melton’s spot in the starting lineup.
Previously, Kerr has rotated Moses Moody, Gary Payton II next to Curry in the starting lineup. He also inserted Brandin Podziemski when Curry missed time.
The Warriors face a shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies team on Friday, November 15, in an NBA Emirates Cup matchup at home.
The Grizzlies have been starting Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells in the backcourt, with Ja Morant (right hip subluxation and pelvic muscle strains) and Desmond Bane (right oblique strain) sidelined.
Steve Kerr ‘Planned’ to Keep De’Anthony Melton as Starter Before Injury
Melton’s injury threw a wrench in Kerr’s plan to establish his starting lineup.
Following their 127-116 win over the Thunder in which Melton had a double-double (19 points and 10 rebounds with 3 steals and 2 assists), Kerr declared he plans to keep the guard as the starter next to Curry in their backcourt.
“I would like for that starting group that was out there tonight, I would like for that group to be our group going forward,” Kerr told reporters. “JK has shown how important he is to us off the bench … he seems to really fit into that role well.
“We’re looking for really good defense to start the game, and that lineup gives us two on-ball defenders with Wiggs and Melt, and then two bigs with Draymond and Trayce. I think we’ll stay with it and see how it goes.”
Steph Curry Says De’Anthony Melton Was a ‘Difference-Maker’
Curry gives his stamp of approval on Melton starting next to him after their huge win over the Thunder.
“It’s exactly kind of what you expected,” Curry said on NBC Sports Bay Area’s “Warriors Postgame Live” show. “He’s been around the block. He’s a gamer. When we played against them when he was in Memphis and we were in that [2022] playoff series, he was a difference-maker on both ends of the floor. [Tonight] that third quarter was huge. He was hitting big threes, playing great defense.”
Kerr highlighted Melton’s two-way skillset as the main reason he wanted to keep him in the starting lineup.
“I think it gives us a really good two-way lineup,” Kerr told reporters. “You saw what [Melton] could do at both ends. He’s a really good passer, an excellent 3-point shooter [and] a really good on-ball defender as well.
“Melt in the starting lineup is something we’ve talked about a lot in camp and here in the early going. Really liked it. I think it makes a lot of sense for us.”
Like Heavy.com’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy.com
The post Warriors Hit With Devastating Injury News Amid Hot Start appeared first on Heavy.com.