Warriors hit with crushing injury in the starting lineup

Nov 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) drives beside Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images
Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images

The Golden State Warriors‘ starting lineup just got hit with a major blow. Warriors combo guard De’Anthony Melton has suffered a sprained left ACL. ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news on Thursday afternoon.

Warriors starting SG De’Anthony Melton has sprained ACL

The injury comes at a disadvantageous time for Golden State. Per Yahoo Sports’ Michael Wagaman, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr recently came out and declared that he was set with the starting five that took the court in their decisive 127-116 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

Nov 10, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton (8) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Warriors: Melton to miss next game vs. Grizzlies after coming alive

Melton was a part of that first five. He scored a season-high 19 points on 5-8 shooting from three-point range and pulled down 10 rebounds as a pivotal driving force behind their win. He also followed up that big performance with a 14-point outing against the Dallas Mavericks in the Dubs’ opening game of the 2024 Emirates Cup.

Now, the Warriors will have to continue on with their talented playmaking shooter for the time being. The Warriors franchise announced on X that the 26-year-old will miss their next game against the Memphis Grizzlies before further word comes back on his status. They’ll likely rely on Brandin Podziemski to reclaim his starting spot at the two next to superstar Stephen Curry and Sixth Man of the Year candidate Buddy Hield to handle backup off-guard duties.

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