In a season start that has been plagued with injuries, another sensible one has just entered this long list. We are talking about De’Anthony Melton, who is set to undergo surgery on his left ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 campaign, as Golden State announced this Wednesday.
The Warriors guard had already missed out on the team’s last two outings due to an ACL sprain, but as the club’s medical staff underwent further testing, they determined the it was necessary to go through surgery. Unfortunately, the organization was excited to sign him to a one-year, $12.8 million contract in free agency.
Even so, the 26-year-old had only participated in the squad’s first three games of the competition before falling to a back injury that sidelined him for five matches. He came back, played another three contests, and finally ended his season with the ACL injury against the Mavericks last week.
The Warriors announced De’Anthony Melton will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season
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— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) November 21, 2024
“It’s terrible news. I feel so bad for [Melton],” Kerr said about the player who averaged 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals this season. “He’s such a perfect fit for us, and we were excited to have him. He was clearly going to be our starter next to [Stephen Curry].”
The Warriors coach will have to start Lindy Waters III for the time being. “He’s disappointed, but he knows this is the right decision,” Steve added. “You can’t mess around with a partially torn ACL and think that everything’s going to be fine if he just plays through it. This is the right decision, and we’re all very confident that he’ll be back.”
His teammate Dramyond Green believes he’s a sensible loss for the squad. “What he was bringing to this team was great, so we’ll miss that,” he said after Wednesday’s 120-97 win. “But what we’ll miss more is just his presence around, his attitude, his demeanor every single day. Always smiling, never upset about anything, just always bringing great vibes.”
“You hate to see a young guy in a contract year go through this, but I know the imprint he’s already left on this organization. He’ll have an opportunity to come back, and hopefully he’ll decide that’s the right thing for him,” Green said about Melton, while the Warriors are allowed to file a disabled player exception with his season-ending injury.
Golden State will continue their playoff push as the first seed in the West and even ponder about the possibility of earning a fifth title in ten years
The Warriors have been undergoing one of their strongest starts to a season in a while, as they currently sit atop the Western Conference standings with an 11-3 record. With Stephen Curry leading the way, as his brilliance continues to shine despite his old age, we can’t help but wonder what would happen if they go all the way for the title.
In a recent interview, he was asked about his true motivations to continue playing at an elite level after 15 years in the league. The veteran guard insinuated that he only needs one more thing before hanging up his basketball shoes that would certainly cement his already legendary legacy.
“Honestly, it’s the only thing I’m really playing for at this point,” Curry said about his ultimate goal of capturing a fifth NBA championship in Golden State. “It’s the only thing that matters in the sense of accomplishment.”
Even though his career is already full of accomplishments, Stephen also revealed that he still has passion for the game. “I still love to play the game,” the athlete expressed. “I still love to come to work every day. Basketball is still fun for me. The challenge of trying to figure out how to win on a nightly basis, I still get up for it.”
