The Warriors got the kind of win Sunday night that can make an offseason plan look a lot smarter in a hurry.
Golden State beat the Los Angeles Clippers to move to 4-3, and while rookie Yaxel Lendeborg will grab most of the attention after pouring in 37 points in a strong bounce-back effort from his disappointing game against the Los Angeles Lakers, De’Anthony Melton quietly made a massive case for himself too.
Melton finished with 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting and went 6-of-8 from three-point range. That kind of night does more than pad a box score. It gives real weight to the Warriors’ decision to largely run the roster back over the offseason.
That approach has been easy to question, especially with the Kristaps Porzingis situation hanging over it. General manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. brought back essentially the same group from last season, with Lendeborg, Brandon Williams and Georges Niang standing as the main additions.
Dunleavy does not get a free pass for the Porzingis mess, but there is at least an argument that the gamble made sense because the team had his bird rights and could not pay anyone else. Even so, that move looks like an abject disaster now, especially with Porzingis apparently getting his teeth done in Spain.
Melton, though, is the kind of retention that makes the strategy look a lot more defensible. The 28-year-old was solid for Golden State last season after returning from a knee injury, putting up a career-high 12 points per game. That was enough to land him a two-year, $12.5 million deal, and right now that contract looks like a bargain.
His hot start from deep has been a big part of that. As Ben Ross pointed out on social media, Melton is shooting 53% from three-point range this season. That number is not going to hold - he is not known as a true sharpshooter - but the fact that he could deliver a performance like this with Stephen Curry on the bench matters.
Even if the three-point percentage comes back down to earth, Melton can still help in other ways. The Warriors will need that, because he shot just 29% from beyond the arc last season and they need him to be better than that. But for now, his play is exactly the kind of proof Golden State was hoping for when it chose continuity over a bigger splash.
Running it back was never going to be as flashy as bringing in a star. Still, keeping players like Melton around has at least lifted the Warriors’ floor and given them a shot to stay near .500 while they wait for Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody to return.
In Other News...
Warriors Hot Start Comes With One Troubling Yaxel Lendeborg Sign
The Warriors recent winning streaks have helped mask a curious early-season wrinkle around Yaxel Lendeborg. On the surface, he has been producing exactly the kind of all-around line that usually travels well in Golden State, averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting efficiently and giving the offense another reliable option.
Still, the plus-minus has told a different story, with Lendeborg sitting at minus-21 through 255 minutes. The number has been shaped by a few specific games, but it also points to the areas the Warriors will want cleaned up as the season settles in, especially turnovers, defense and fouling. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Kerr Adds Another Twist Before Warriors Face Klay And Wiggins
Steve Kerr had a little of everything to discuss after practice, including the kind of off-court topic that can briefly hijack a room before the basketball questions take over. He also touched on the Warriors health, saying Gui Santos sat out with a sore left knee while Brandon Williams went through a full session and should be available.
Golden States next game brings another familiar wrinkle, with the Miami Heat arriving in town carrying former Warriors Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins. For Kerr, it adds an extra layer to a matchup that already has plenty of emotional baggage, even before the teams tip off. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Face A Costly Porziis Problem With No Clear End
Kristaps Porziis has become one of the more complicated roster questions facing the Warriors this season, and not just because he has yet to suit up. Golden State is withholding salary payments while he remains away from the team because of undisclosed health issues, a situation that has left the club balancing basketball needs, financial planning and the reality that a player it signed to a two-year deal has not been available at all.
The front office is also trying to navigate the contract from a cap standpoint, with trade interest tied more to financial flexibility than any expectation of an immediate on-court fix. Porziis has reportedly considered stepping away from basketball, which only adds to the uncertainty around when, or if, the Warriors can count on him as part of their plans. [Read more 🡒]