Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Trayce Jackson-Davis are the only Warriors to have started every game (when available) since the start of the season. We can therefore say that Steve Kerr has found his quartet.
For the last starting place, on the other hand, he fumbled with Brandin Podziemski, Jonathan Kuminga and Gary Payton II. Then, in Oklahoma City, the coach decided to start De’Anthony Melton in the major five.
“I think it allows us to have complete training,” judge Steve Kerr, who will renew this major five against the Mavericks. “Melton is good on both ends of the floor: he’s a good passer, an excellent 3-point shooter and a very good man defender. We talked during training camp about putting him in the starting five, and I appreciated it. This makes sense to us. »
DeAnthony Melton earned his spot among the starters
The former Grizzlies and Sixers guard took advantage of this opportunity by compiling 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists. “We expected that. He’s an excellent player. We played against him in the playoffs with Memphis and he makes a difference in attack and defense,” recalls Stephen Curry when talking about the 2022 series. “He was important in the third quarter with his defense and his 3-point shooting. »
This choice also allows the Warriors to have a lot of bench depth since, among his replacements, Steve Kerr can rely on Buddy Hield, Brandin Podziemski, Moses Moody, Kevon Looney or even Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II and Jonathan Kuminga who has found some edge since he is no longer the starter.
The Warriors bench also scored 44 points in the victory against the Thunder. “I want this major five to be our five in the future”announces Steve Kerr. “Kuminga showed how important he is coming off the bench. He seems very comfortable in this role. We want to start games well on defense and, with Wiggins and Melton, we have two big defenders, to go with Green and Jackson-Davis. »
