Warriors Coach Steve Kerr Pleased with New Backcourt Start

Golden State Coach Impressed with De’Anthony Melton

Warriors coach Steve Kerr praised new Warriors point guard De’Anthony Melton following Golden State’s 91-90 preseason win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday. Kerr inserted Melton into the lineup alongside Steph Curry as the team’s starting backcourt, sharing point guard duties. The two guards combined for 17 points in Melton’s 12 minutes and Curry’s 14. Kerr complimented the Warriors summer free agent addition’s play with Curry after the game.

“They look great together. They look for each other. De’Anthony is a really good shooter and also a playmaker. He gets into the mix on everything defensively. I’m a big fan,” said Kerr.

Melton did look at ease and in a comfortable state with Curry, which bodes well for him going forward. Curry is in need of a solid backcourt partner and backup guard to pick up the slack when he heads to the bench. Melton, who has handled point guard duties of some form, mostly as a backup, since coming into the NBA playing in Phoenix, Memphis, and the last two seasons in Philadelphia, seemed to fit with Curry nicely. However, it’s only one preseason game thus far. Melton’s chemistry on the Warriors will need a little more time to grow.

Youth Making Gains

Experimenting with Melton and Curry wasn’t the only lineup Kerr played with against the Clippers. On the frontcourt side of things, Kerr drew up a three-man lineup of Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Jonathan Kuminga. Andrew Wiggins was out of the lineup, creating an open spot alongside Green and Jackson-Davis. The main distinction with Kerr’s front court experiment is youth versus Green. As Kerr explained, the youth of this lineup is exactly why he wanted to test the waters and if he’ll move forward with the same trio.

“We gotta see, because last year we didn’t feel comfortable going that route,” Kerr said before the game. “We would like to have played Draymond at the four. Trayce gives us a shot-blocker next to him. We wanna play JK. If he’s ready for the three, and it works with those guys, we will see. And if not, we’ll adapt. But, now is the time to try these things and see what combinations work.”

Both Jackson-Davis and Kuminga mopped up 13 rebounds combined. As Kerr sees it, Jackson-Davis was also impressive on the defensive end, as he was last year. The second-year man out of Indiana is on the path to having an outstanding sophomore season. If he maintains his high level of play from last season—and impresses like he did Saturday night—Jackson-Davis will only find himself playing more minutes and increasing trust with his coach.

The bonus part about Jackson-Davis’s game is that he grew an inch over the summer. Hopefully, the talented young player’s getting bigger reflects his improving game.