With Klay Thompson shifting to a different workforce, the Warriors knew they needed to exchange a lot of what he had supplied. Or, extra precisely, what made him the virtually good sidekick for Stephen Curry.
Golden State’s precedence was including a point-of-attack defender able to filling one of many roles Thompson furnished earlier than sustaining a torn ACL in a single leg and a ruptured Achilles’ tendon within the different.
Thompson’s protection in his prime gave Curry the liberty that resulted in back-to-back MVP awards. The Warriors need, want, to regain that.
Enter free-agent guard De’Anthony Melton. He’s not flashy and he received’t be the shooter Klay is, however his protection is elite. That makes it price paying him the $12.9 million nontaxpayer midlevel exception each side agreed to on Monday.
Melton, 26, is that uncommon younger participant who’s efficient however has remained largely underneath the radar, partly as a result of he has performed for 3 totally different groups.
The Warriors, like the remainder of the NBA and people who reside and breathe it, notice his worth as one of many league’s high perimeter defenders.
Melton is, like former Golden State star Andre Iguodala, a type of guys who not often produces a stunning stat line however usually makes successful performs. He’s capturing 36.9 p.c from deep over his six-year profession. Furthermore, he’s a terrific defender – on ball or off – who will get steals, seize rebounds and pile up extra “hockey” assists than official dimes.
At 6-foot-2, with a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Melton’s bodily dimensions just about match these of Gary Payton II, whom the Warriors love however has battled accidents in every of the final two seasons.
Melton, too, has handled accidents, most lately again points that restricted him to 38 video games (33 begins) with the Philadelphia 76ers final season.
Earlier than popping out of the lineup final season, Melton was a part of a Philadelphia beginning lineup – together with Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Nic Batum and Tyrese Maxey – that posted the very best internet score (plus 34.0) within the NBA.
The 76ers had been 21-9 with Melton within the lineup earlier than his again despatched him to the sidelines. They had been 26-26 over the ultimate 52 video games, most of which had been missed by Embiid and Melton.
Melton flourished because the Sixth Man on the 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies workforce that completed with the No. 2 seed within the Western Convention. He averaged 10.8 factors per recreation (40.4 from the sphere, however 37.4 from deep), with 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals.
The important thing with Melton is his well being. If he had stayed wholesome final season, he may have commanded an annual wage exceeding $20 million.
Although the Warriors are out of the luxurious tax and nonetheless are assembling their roster, Melton tasks as somebody who may very well be within the beginning lineup.
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