The Golden State Warriors have their fair share of problems on their hands entering this new season.
Kristaps Porzingis still doesn't have a definitive timeline for his return from an undisclosed health issue, and the Warriors will be forced to lean on a small-ball lineup in his absence. Brandin Podziemski, who was slated to start in the backcourt next to Stephen Curry, is set to miss the season opener with lower back soreness. And this team was already going to be without Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody as both players recover from the injuries that ended their campaigns last season.
But Golden State's biggest problem, right now, is figuring out how to handle their matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Sure, maybe there's not enough depth around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for this Los Angeles squad to reach the upper echelon of contenders. Maybe the addition of Walker Kessler as a bona fide rim protector won't be enough to keep their defense above board. Perhaps another star is needed here, or simply a hit on a recent draft pick.
But as long as both Reaves and Doncic are available, the Lakers are going to be a handful for opposing defenses on a night-to-night basis.
Podziemski's absence, for the Warriors, almost certainly isn't a net positive. De'Anthony Melton continued with his shooting struggles through the preseason, and it's unclear how much he can provide offensively at this juncture.
But it does mean that Golden State will be forced to start their best point-of-attack defender from the jump on Wednesday night, and that gives them a chance to limit the damage from Reaves or Doncic early in the game.
Warriors' best defensive look likely puts De'Anthony Melton in the starting lineup
It makes sense why the Warriors would look to start Podziemski over Melton in most scenarios. Melton still hasn't shown much improvement from the shooting woes that defined the end of his last campaign, and Golden State clearly believes in Podziemski as a consistent offensive option with the ball in his hands. A lineup without Porzingis needs to lean on its shooting, and Podziemski provides that at a higher rate than Melton does currently.
But it's also reasonable to think that Melton, with some improved offensive performance, will see his fair share of opportunities over the course of the season. Golden State sprung to re-sign him this offseason instead of a younger guard like Anfernee Simons because of his fit next to Curry in the backcourt—which relies primarily on his defensive abilities at the point of attack.
Golden State will likely throw different looks at Doncic over the course of the night. Yaxel Lendeborg will almost certainly spend some time with that assignment, but so will Draymond Green and likely even Gui Santos. He's the primary concern here, as his ability to shoot from deep and work on the interior could put this game out of reach quickly if he truly gets going.
That still leaves Reaves, though, as a major concern. Reaves solidified himself as a star guard last season, averaging 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists while knocking down 36% of his shots from beyond the arc on a team that still needed touches for both Doncic and LeBron James. With James out of the picture, even more of the offensive burden will fall upon Reaves—especially working his way downhill and collapsing the defense with his handles and playmaking abilities.
Having Melton in the game from the beginning will allow the Warriors to put their best matchup on Reaves, perhaps limiting the Lakers' ability to find their groove offensively in the early portions of the game. If Golden State can accomplish that, they'll immediately a much better chance of coming away with a victory.
At the very least, it'll be a storyline to keep an eye on as Golden State enters regular season action on Wednesday night.
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