Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton will undergo ACL surgery that will keep him out for the remainder of the season, the team announced on Wednesday. Melton had missed Golden State's last two games with a sprained left ACL, but further testing showed that "it is in De'Anthony's best interest to proceed with ACL surgery."
Melton had appeared in six games for the Warriors and started two, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists for Golden State. He signed a one-year mid-level exception contract with the Warriors after two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. This will be his second consecutive season that has been seriously altered by an injury. Melton played in only 38 games last year in Philadelphia because of a back injury, and while he did return toward the end of the season, he barely played down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Melton was an ideal fit in the starting lineup for Golden State at shooting guard because of his 3-and-D skill set. The starting lineup of him, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Trayce Jackson-Davis had an impressive net rating of plus- 22 in limited minutes. Melton can comfortably fit within almost any lineup structure, but without him, the Warriors will have to decide how best to manage its remaining guards. Buddy Hield has thrived in a bench role, and Brandin Podziemski's ball-handling has more value with the reserves because the Warriors lack a traditional backup point guard. In Golden State's last two games, Steve Kerr has started Lindy Waters III at shooting guard, but he hasn't exactly run away with the job. Ace defender Gary Payton II and explosive forward Jonathan Kuminga would also figure to be candidates for starting roles as well.
The Warriors are arguably the NBA's deepest team, and Kerr has frequently used 11- and 12-man rotations this season. Nobody wants to lose a key player to a season-ending injury, but the Warriors are as equipped to handle one as any team in basketball.
