Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors got out to a hot start to begin this season.
Since their 4-1 start, they have lost two consecutive games to some banged-up teams.
One of the main issues for these losses was their perimeter defense.
The Warriors as a unit seem to be a good defensive team, but individually, the aging roster and its players may not have the skills to be impactful on the perimeter.
Luckily, De’Anthony Melton should be back from an ACL injury before January, and he will improve this issue drastically.
Although Melton is a great defender, Blue Man Hoop’s Peter O’Keefe suggests it may not be all sunshine and rainbows when he comes back.
“The lack of perimeter defense was again on display for the Warriors during Saturday's disastrous loss to the Indiana Pacers, suggesting they could have an unhealthy reliance on Melton upon his long-anticipated return,” O'Keefe said Sunday.
“Melton has earned a reputation as a capable perimeter defender when healthy. While the team's current point-of-attack issues presents a strong opportunity for the 27-year-old when he does return, it's also unfair to expect him to be the anecdote at least straight away.”
O’Keefe believes that the Warriors may expect too much from the scrappy guard before he even returns.
Melton tore his ACL in November of last season and recently started increasing his on-court workouts.
It was announced that he will be reevaluated in three weeks to get a better idea of when he will be able to return.
Melton began his season with the Warriors last year before they traded him to the Brooklyn Nets.
On October 1, 2025, they re-signed him to a two-year deal because they liked what he brought to the team.
Hopefully, the recovering guard isn’t handed too much pressure when he comes back, as that may make things even worse for his injury and the rest of the team.
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