OKLAHOMA CITY — In 10 games, the Warriors have already started six players at the shooting guard spot: Andrew Wiggins in a jumbo package to open the season, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Moses Moody in the three games Steph Curry missed, Gary Payton II in a couple of recent matchups and finally De’Anthony Melton on Sunday night in Oklahoma City.
Melton opened the Warriors’ 127-116 road win with a pocket bounce pass to Trayce Jackson-Davis for a layup. Later in the first quarter, he hit the first of his five 3s. He had 10 rebounds from the guard position, 19 points, two assists and three steals, sliding between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams as his primary assignment.
These were 27 hefty minutes from Melton. After the game, Steve Kerr essentially announced that Melton would be the starting shooting guard moving forward.
“I like this lineup with Melt,” Kerr said. “I anticipate doing it again Tuesday (against the Mavericks). I think it gives us a really good two-way lineup. You saw what he can do at both ends … I would like for that starting group that was out there tonight to be our group going forward.”
https://t.co/JSAAdVzpOQ https://t.co/AIzjZ0gHrX
— Pippi Loansgotme (@mutual_feelings) November 11, 2024
Kerr and the coaching staff discussed Melton as the preferred starting shooting guard back in Hawaii. They signed him because of his perceived fit next to Curry and liked the early results, pairing those two together in the preseason opener against the Clippers.
But that first month was about lineup experimentation. Draymond Green made it clear he preferred a center next to him to open games and it became clear that the Warriors wanted to get Jonathan Kuminga in the starting lineup to open the season. That led to a big lineup of Curry, Wiggins, Kuminga, Green and Jackson-Davis, an experiment that only lasted three games.
Melton probably would’ve slid into this starting spot earlier, but his back flared up. Melton was limited to 38 games in Philadelphia last season because of a tricky back problem that wouldn’t subside. He was available on the mid-level exception this summer because of that shaky health status. He said he chose the Warriors, in part, because of Rick Celebrini’s recent work guiding players like Green and Otto Porter Jr. through back injuries to productive seasons.
Celebrini kept a watchful eye on Melton during this road trip, leading him through some individual and eventually group workouts to test that inflamed lower back before finally clearing him for the Cleveland game. He was solid against the Cavaliers, doing enough to get the green light for the starting shooting guard spot and 27 minutes against the Thunder.
“We played Memphis in the playoffs (in 2022) and he was part of their seven-, eight-man rotation because he can defend, knocks down open shots,” Curry said. “Confident. Makes the right play. Sound guy that knows how to play. Just hoping that he’s healthy and able to be available. He’s been working tirelessly on that. Tonight showed that role, two-way type player and another guy who can handle the ball a little bit, which helps.”
In the first quarter, Wiggins blasted through Chet Holmgren on a drive attempt, knocking Holmgren horizontally in a hard crash to the floor. Holmgren injured his hip and missed the rest of the game, leaving the Thunder without an available center. Because of it, Kerr shifted his rotation and didn’t play Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney the rest of the night.
“Last year, Steph and Steve were talking about the lineups and just kind of running out of options on lineups that we can go to,” Green said. “This year it’s the total opposite.”
Kerr started the second half with Payton in place of Jackson-Davis, leaving Melton as the starting shooting guard and Kuminga in his bench role. It’s clear that Kerr wants him to get comfortable as a high-usage leader of the second unit. Kuminga was one of their lone bright spots in Cleveland, scoring 21, and backed that up with 20 points in 26 minutes against the Thunder, attacking their lack of rim protection relentlessly in a productive first half. Kuminga is averaging 17.4 points on 51.7 percent shooting in his seven straight games as a reserve.
“I think JK has shown how important he is off the bench,” Kerr said. “Twenty points tonight, some huge plays. He seems to really fit into that role well.”
The win capped a winding but ultimately impressive 4-1 road trip for the Warriors. They blew a 31-point lead in the opener in Houston but stabilized and survived in overtime. They took care of a bad Wizards team, handled the Celtics in Boston, suffered a blowout loss in Cleveland but responded with a double-digit win in Oklahoma City, fighting off another near 30-point blown lead.
Holmgren’s unknown injury status tosses the Thunder, considered the regular season Western Conference favorite, into some possible November turmoil. The Suns will miss Kevin Durant for at least two weeks and lost to the Kings on Sunday night.
The Warriors are tied with Phoenix and Oklahoma City atop the conference with an 8-2 record. They return home for two tests this week, beginning with the Mavericks and Klay Thompson on Tuesday night.
What will Klay Thompson’s return on Tuesday be like?
Steph Curry: “I don’t know. We’ve had homecomings before, but nothing like this.” pic.twitter.com/NT34K1kKyg
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) November 11, 2024
(Photo: Alonzo Adams / Imagn Images)
