The Golden State Warriors have developed a reputation as a team absolutely loaded with guards.
Critics often joke that the franchise seems less interested in collecting forwards or centers than they are in hoarding backcourt talent.
To be fair, the roster composition supports the theory. Beyond superstar Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors feature a legion of shooters, including Buddy Hield, Moses Moody, Will Richard, and the recently signed Seth Curry.
Add in the all-around game of Brandin Podziemski, the defensive specialist Gary Payton II, and the playmaking emergence of Pat Spencer, and the backcourt is undeniably crowded.
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However, Stephen Curry believes this depth is a luxury, especially with the return of a player he describes as the ‘prototypical two-way guard‘, De’Anthony Melton.
Melton recently made his season debut after a long recovery from injury, and he has wasted no time making an impact in his first two games back.
Curry was quick to praise his teammate’s ability to seamlessly fit into the rotation.
“Just a guy who understands what this level is all about, and he has a way of making the game very simple,” Curry said.
“He’s a good shooter who knocks it down when he’s open. He can put the ball on the floor, play pick-and-roll, create on the backside, and then obviously defensively we know what he’s doing—disrupting the ball.”
“It’s just a prototypical NBA two-way guard that can do a little bit of everything. So, you saw it last year, we were kind of hitting strides,” he added.
De‘Anthony Melton is a two-way guard the Warriors needed
Melton is proving to be exactly the complete guard Curry described. Although the sample size is small (just two games), he is already leading the Warriors roster in steals per game with 2.0 .
His defensive activity has been elite. Over his first two appearances, he has contested an average of 11.5 shots per game and held opponents to just 43.5% shooting when he is the primary defender, an impressive number for a 6’2″ guard.
Offensively, he has been equally reliable, scoring in double figures in both contests (14 and 13 points, respectively) and shooting 42.9% from three-point range in one of those outings.
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This production aligns with his track record. Over the past four seasons, the veteran guard has consistently averaged more than 10 points per game while shooting 36% or better from beyond the arc.
For a Warriors team that relies less on physical size and more on basketball IQ and defensive disruption, Melton’s specific skill set is not just ‘another guard‘, it is exactly what they need to balance the roster.
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