The Golden State Warriors have gotten a fresh injection of hope as the regular season nears its end.
They earned a narrow victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night, bringing their record on the season to 37-42. The win, frankly, doesn't mean anything in the scheme of the Western Conference standings. The Warriors are now locked into the tenth seed after the Los Angeles Clippers' latest victory, and they must win a pair of play-in games on the road if they want to advance to the first round.
But for overall morale, the victory over Sacramento couldn't have come at a better time. Stephen Curry is back, and he looks as lethal as ever despite his minutes restriction. Brandin Podziesmki is still clicking offensively. Al Horford looks set to return soon. Although both Kristaps Porzingis and Gui Santos missed the matchup against the Kings, neither injury seems to be serious.
For the first time in a while, things are looking up in Golden State.
Yet the most exciting development that took place in the win over the Kings went relatively under the radar. After a rough offensive stretch, De'Anthony Melton exploded for 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
Apart from Curry's return, it's the best sign the Warriors have gotten that they're ready for the Play-In Tournament.
De'Anthony Melton will be absolutely integral to the Warriors' Play-In push
Bringing Melton back was a gamble on Golden State's part. Needless to say, it's paid off.
Melton has remained mostly healthy since returning from his ACL rehab, averaging 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists across 46 games. In Curry's absence, he was one of the most important offensive contributors on the team.
In all likelihood, he'll decline his player option this offseason and command a larger deal, either elsewhere or with the Warriors. In the meantime, however, Golden State needs to maximize the production they've gotten out of his contract.
It looked, briefly, like Melton's health issues might be catching up to him. Across the Warriors' last five games before the Sacramento matchup, Melton only played in three. He posted just 11 combined points in those appearances.
Head coach Steve Kerr clarified that Melton's struggles were partly a result of a strain in his left thumb. The true severity of the injury remains unclear.
But thankfully, Melton looked absolutely unstoppable against a defensively scattered Kings team.
Of course, any chance the Warriors truly have of rising out of the Play-In rests on Curry. But if Melton is right and they can count on him to take on big minutes, his pairing next to Curry in the starting backcourt is too perfect to pass up.
Players like Podziemski and Santos have the scoring acumen to be secondary options on any given night with the way the roster is currently constructed. But Melton has the length, fluidity, and shooting abilities to truly change games.
The Warriors need him at full strength heading into the Play-In. Hopefully, his performance against the Kings is a sign he's gotten there again.