The Golden State Warriors have suffered a major blow to their 2024-25 season. Stephen Curry‘s teammate, a key player on both ends of the court, will miss the rest of the NBA season due to a knee injury requiring surgery. Coach Steve Kerr shared his thoughts on the challenging situation the team is facing.
Guard De’Anthony Melton, who had missed the past two games with a sprained left ACL, ultimately opted for surgery after tests revealed the injury was more severe than initially expected.
“It’s obviously terrible news. I feel so bad for De’Anthony. He’s such a perfect fit for us, and we were so excited to have him. He was clearly going to be our starter next to Steph,” Steve Kerr said via NBA.com. “The good news is he’s a young guy, and the surgery is pretty routine these days, so he should be able to come back and resume his career really well, but I feel awful for him and bad for us, too.”
Melton’s absence will force the Warriors to adjust their rotation. Players like Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, and Gary Payton II will have to take on greater responsibilities to make up for the loss of the versatile defender and scorer.
“Fortunately, we do have a deep team, and guys will be ready to step up,” said Kerr, “There’s been plenty of conversation behind the scenes. He’s disappointed, but he knows this is the right decision. He told me he really spent the last few days trying to wrap his head around it and think about what makes the most sense. This is the right decision. 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.”
A hard blow to the Warriors’ aspirations
Melton’s injury is a blow to the Golden State Warriors‘ aspirations this season. However, the team has a talented and deep roster, so they still have a chance to compete for a title.
The Warriors will look to maintain their strong start to the NBA season and find a way to replace Melton’s production on the court.