With today's modern science, many athletes find themselves successfully returning within 12 months of a torn ACL. That's not the case for De'Anthony Melton though who remains sidelined for the Golden State Warriors through the first month of this season.
It's now over a year since Melton suffered his ACL injury on November 12 against the Dallas Mavericks, but the veteran guard still isn't close to a return after re-joining the Warriors in free agency during the offseason.
There's growing anticipation for Melton's return among Warriors fans, but in reality we should have always known that the franchise was going to take an ultra-cautious approach given he's played just 44 games in the past two seasons.
Fans are learning just how cautious Warriors are being with De'Anthony Melton
Melton was seen running up and down the sidelines before Sunday's win over the New Orleans Pelicans, raising hope of an imminent return for the 27-year-old. However, head coach Steve Kerr has revealed that Melton is "not very close" despite his progression in recent weeks.
"But he's not very close because, as you know, he missed all of last year pretty much. So he needs to really do a lot of on-court scrimmaging and rhythm work," Kerr said on 95.7 The Game's Willard and Dibs. "The good news is he's getting healthier and stronger every day, and he's definitely going to play a part of the season coming up. We just don't have an exact date yet."
This isn't overly promising and frankly is disappointing given it's now been over 12 months, but Melton's injury history suggests we really shouldn't be surprised. This is someone who's been limited by back issues in the past, and who has played more than 60 games just twice in his first seven years in the league.
As much as fans want to see Melton back on the floor, the most important thing is to have him back and healthy for the second-half of the season as Golden State prepare for what they hope is a long playoff run.
If anything the extended absence hurts Melton himself more so than the Warriors, especially considering he has a player option for next season after signing a two-year, $6.5 million contract. In an ideal world for him, Melton would have enough impact to garner a bigger deal from Golden State or elsewhere as a free agent, but that obviously becomes less likely the longer his recovery takes.