Just three games back from a back injury that caused a five-game absence, Golden State Warriors guard De'Anthony Melton is again set to miss a period on the sidelines due to a sprained ACL suffered late in Tuesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Warriors announced on Thursday that Melton will miss Friday's second NBA Cup game against his former team in the Memphis Grizzlies, with the 26-year-old set to undergo further testing before another update is provided.
The Warriors starting lineup has again been thrown into chaos
After nine games of switching up the starting lineup and going to seven different combinations, head coach Steve Kerr looked like he'd settled on an opening unit with Melton alongside Stephen Curry in the back-court.
Melton appeared more than comfortably during his first two starts as a Warrior, knocking down 5-of-8 from three-point range on his way to a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in a big win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.
The 6'2" guard then added 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal against the Mavericks, including a huge top of the key three-pointer just as the visitors looked to be taking control of the game late in the fourth-quarter.
Melton's absence will now force Kerr into another starting lineup decision he wish he didn't have to make. Fourth-year wing Moses Moody may be the most like-for-like replacement to cover the loss of shooting, while Gary Payton II had started in the back-court most recently before Melton's inclusion.
The injury could also open the door for Kerr to return to his initial lineup from the first three games of the season, with Andrew Wiggins sliding down to the shooting guard spot to allow Jonathan Kuminga a starting role.
Either way, fans can probably expect Melton to be on the sidelines for a little while. This is what Golden State's depth was built to withstand, but it's nonetheless an issue that disrupts some of what the team had going on.
This latest injury is also a cruel blow to Melton individually after he was limited to just 38 games with the Philadelphia 76ers last season. He signed a one-year, $12.8 million contract with the Warriors during the offseason, hoping to rehabilitate his value and get a bigger, long-term deal as a free agent again next summer.
Melton appeared in six of Golden State's first 11 games, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals in 20.2 minutes while shooting 37.1% from three-point range.