Warriors offseason additions almost ensures improvement in one huge area

The Golden State Warriors have been busy so far this offseason, adding De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield to help offset the departures of veterans Klay Thompson, Chris Paul and Dario Saric.

There can be a major argument to be had on whether that's a net positive for the Warriors, but there's less debate on the fact the team should see a significant lift on the defensive side at the very least.

The acquisitions of De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson should provide a much needed boost to the Golden State Warriors defense next season

Thompson and Stephen Curry may have ushered in a new generation of offense with their three-point shooting, but Golden State's defense has often underpinned its success over the past decade. In their most recent championship season of 2021-22, the Warriors had the second-best defensive rating in the league behind the team they beat in the NBA Finals -- the Boston Celtics.

That's since dropped to 14th and 15th across the past two years, with a league-average defense unsurprisingly having not taking the franchise very far. The outgoing trio of Thompson, Paul and Saric were hardly known for their defense last season, suggesting Golden State have plenty of room for improvement after bringing in Melton and Anderson.

Melton was limited by a back injury that kept him to 38 games last season, but in his most recent injury-free year in 2022-23, the 26-year-old recorded 3.1 defensive win shares and a 1.6 defensive box plus-minus (DBPM). To put that into context, Draymond Green's 2.2 defensive win shares led the team last season, while only he and Gary Payton II had a DBPM above 1.4.

Anderson, a 6'9" versatile forward, was part of the best defense in the league last season at the Minnesota TImberwolves. The experienced 30-year-old contributed 3.1 defensive win shares, and held a 2.7 DBPM that would have ranked second on the Warriors behind Green.

Speaking of Green, the veteran forward missed 21 games through suspension last season, proving a major detriment to Golden State's playoff hopes. Assuming the 34-year-old can avoid trouble, that also projects as a major boost for Golden State with Green remaining easily their best and most important defender.

With the additions of Melton and Anderson, greater availability from Green and Gary Payton II, as well as natural improvement from Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, the Warriors have a nucleus in place to suggest they can return to being one of the league's best defenses next season.