The Golden State Warriors have made a positive start with a 2-1 record through the opening days of the season, but the concerning form of their multiple shooting guards is presenting a dream opportunity for De'Anthony Melton despite the 27-year-old remaining on the sidelines as he recovers from a long-term knee injury.
Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green have all looked like their usual selves, and Jonathan Kuminga is taking giant strides few saw coming, yet the two guard spot is still a question mark for Steve Kerr and the Warriors to address.
Warriors are already gifting De'Anthony Melton a dream opportunity
While many believed Brandin Podziemski was in for a breakout third season, that hasn't been forthcoming at this stage which led to a couple of major lineup decisions over the past 48 hours.
Podziemski was left out of the closing lineup on Thursday against the Denver Nuggets as Kerr went with a big lineup he hadn't even considered previously. Golden State then remained with a big lineup to open Friday's game in Portland despite the absence of veteran center Al Horford, with Quinten Post inserted which left Podziemski demoted from a starting role.
Podziemski's form is of growing concern three games into the season, but he's far from the only two guard option that's had a less than ideal start to the season. After firming as the starting shooting guard early in preseason, Moses Moody's ill-timed calf injury saw him lose that opportunity. The 23-year-old looked rusty in his return on Friday in just over 21 minutes off the bench, and while he deserves some leeway for that, it's not as if the Warriors will be rushing him back into the starting lineup.
Buddy Hield's had some impact but is shooting just 33.3% from 3-point range through the first three games, while Gary Payton II appears on the edge of the rotation in averaging only 10 minutes so far. Rookie guard Will Richard has been impressive, but we still saw some 'rookie moments' on Friday that suggests his minutes will fluctuate.
Without even playing a game yet, many will be looking towards Melton as a possible solution to the current shooting guard concerns. While he'll be on a minutes restrictions upon his expected return next month, it's not inconceivable to suggest a healthy Melton could surge past all of Golden State's current options to become a huge part of their rotation by season's end.
That's a dream opportunity that the seven-year veteran will be looking to capitalize on, particularly as he prepares for free agency again where he'll be looking for a payday after signing a veteran minimum contract with the Warriors during the offseason.