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When the first crack within the new foundation came, the Warriors wore a mask of optimism. They hoped for a reasonably quick fix, studied their options and concluded they’d be strong enough to stay upright until repairs were completed.
They now know otherwise. The crack that formed on Nov. 12 – De’Anthony Melton’s left knee –began the crumbling of the Warriors as they were built to be.
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Of the many challenges before the Warriors, not one is, by itself, more significant than a two-way partner next to Stephen Curry. Defense can be improved with communication and attention to detail, but Curry deserves a productive buddy.
Their best starting lineup, with a Curry-Melton backcourt, is gone. It lasted two games, victories at Oklahoma City and at home over the Dallas Mavericks.
“That was really the perfect mix,” coach Steve Kerr said on Nov. 14, before it became clear Melton’s injury would require surgery. “De’Anthony does a little bit of everything: on-ball defense, rebounding, 3-point shooting, playmaking. It was great fit, and that's why we targeted him.”
“The fact that he's going to be out the next game is a bummer. We were finding some momentum. We'll see how this unfolds. We've got options, we've got a lot of depth, and we were very capable of filling in.”
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That was the optimism. The Warriors were 9-2 when Melton left the lineup, the Warriors were 9-2 and their depth was being praised as if it were the answer to all prayers.
Golden State is 3-5 since Melton was sidelined. The “perfect mix” – Curry, Melton, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis – is disintegrated. There is no quick fix.
Kerr initially tried to fill the void with Lindy Waters III, the 13th man in what was a 13-man rotation. Two reasons. One, Kerr typically makes every effort to minimize disruption of successful rotations. Example: There have been occasions when Moses Moody was pulled from the far end of the bench and into the starting lineup to preserve the roles of the sixth through 10th man.
The other reason is Kerr felt Waters, then shooting 37.5 percent from distance, was a good choice to pair with Curry and maintain the desired spacing. It didn’t matter that he was coming off back-to-back DNPs.
When Waters’ shooting dipped (37.3 percent from the field, 34.3 from deep while auditioning to start next to Curry), Kerr went in another direction. He tried Brandin Podziemski, who was fighting through a shooting slump but has the tenacity of a wolverine. His work in a 113-105 loss to the Suns on Saturday was a slight upgrade for the offense, a slight decline for the defense.
Which is one of the reasons Kerr, speaking to reporters in Phoenix, conceded he was running low on options.
“I was searching,” he said. “Played everybody. And I just didn't love the early part of the second quarter. We didn't have the juice and the energy. Draymond talked about it in practice yesterday. When you've lost a few in a row, you can't count on making 20 3s and winning a game with your offense. You’ve got to dig your way out of it.”
“Digging” is, in this instance, a euphemism for more effective defense. Melton was the practically perfect two-way partner for Curry. That can’t be said about anyone else on the roster. Not Waters. Not Podziemski. Not Gary Payton II, a splendid defender but a reluctant outside shooter. Not Buddy Hield, a splendid outside shooter but no better than average as an on-ball defender.
Andrew Wiggins, who opened the season in the backcourt with Curry, is a tempting option – but moving him only creates another shortage. Who else will defend wings while also filling the important role of spreading the floor on offense?
Moody offers perhaps the best balance. Golden State is 4-0 this season when he starts. His most recent, on Nov. 6, was alongside Curry. Moody played an unspectacular 13 minutes, but the result was a signature win: 118-112 over the Celtics in Boston.
Speaking to reporters after practice Monday in Denver, it is apparent that Kerr remains in search of a lineup. He and his staff had some traction, but that was before learning that Green likely will miss the game Tuesday night against the Nuggets.
“What we're trying to find is combinations that click,” Kerr said. “We have a lot of really good individual pieces on this team. The tricky part is the puzzle itself. Certain combinations are really good together, other ones aren't as good. But when you're talking about a deep team with a lot of guys who can play and a lot of different skill sets, that leaves a lot of different possible lineup combos. We went over all that stuff today. But Draymond's absence changes it, so we'll be going over more stuff tonight.”
There was deep disappointment within the team and the front office when Melton went down. They knew this was a massive loss, but they exhibited faith in the remaining options.
That faith is wearing thin. The search is creeping toward urgency. A reliable partner for Curry is crucial to rectifying the crack in the foundation and, perhaps, saving a season that began with such promise.
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