Warriors' Brandin Podziemski, De'Anthony Melton injury updates complicate lineup decisions
The Golden State Warriors are finally fully healthy.
Andrew Wiggins made his long-awaited preseason debut in Tuesday's win over the Los Angeles Lakers, recovered from a nagging illness. But the Dubs were missing two other key contributors in Sin City after Brandin Podziemski was diagnosed with a broken nose and De'Anthony Melton's nagging back issues flared up once again.
Thankfully, both players were back on the floor Thursday in San Francisco, joining their teammates for what Steve Kerr called the " best practice " of the preseason, per Dalton Schultz of NBC Sports Bay Area.
Podziemski broke his nose during the third quarter of last Friday's win over the Sacramento Kings while taking a hand-off from Trayce Jackson-Davis. He missed Tuesday's game while waiting to be fitted for a protective mask, which he wore a day later at the Dubs' fan-filled open practice at Chase Center.
Melton, meanwhile, was a late scratch in Las Vegas due to what Golden State termed "mid-back tightness." Kerr stressed that the Warriors were simply exercising caution with the 26-year-old, whose stint with the Philadelphia 76ers last season was marred by a lumbar spine injury. Expect them to take similarly proactive measures to protect Melton's back if he experiences discomfort again during the regular season.
Who will start next to Stephen Curry in Warriors' backcourt?
Melton or Podziemski seemed like the only realistic candidates to start alongside Stephen Curry in the backcourt before Tuesday's game. But then they were both inactive in Sin City as Wiggins played for the first time, prompting Kerr to open with a big, athletic, defensive-oriented lineup that represents Golden State's highest ceiling .
The Dubs certainly haven't decided on starting Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis alongside Curry and Draymond Green. Kerr expressed optimism about that unit's prospects after beating the Lakers, singling out the importance of Wiggins and Kuminga pushing pace in transition and playing downhill to combat its obvious spacing issues. Shouldering Green with such a heavy playmaking load without another natural ball-handler on the floor other than Curry is less than ideal, too.
But that balancing act of positives and negatives is unavoidable for Kerr and the coaching staff. They're trying to settle on a starting lineup and come up with a workable rotation from a roster that goes legitimately 12-deep, but has obvious holes nonetheless.
Melton doesn't have the positional size Wiggins does at shooting guard, making it more difficult for the Warriors to switch across four positions defensively. He's not as threatening a multi-level scorer as Wiggins and only a slightly more reliable three-point shooter.
Podziemski, by contrast, provides real playmaking ingenuity next to Curry, the type of "connector" who always makes the game easier for his teammates in the open floor and halfcourt by cutting, screening and mapping the floor one step ahead of the action. The sophomore guard is no on-ball stopper despite his rugged commitment to defense, though, and doesn't have the knockdown jumper off the catch, dribble or movement that would make long-range shooting his trump card.
The good news for Melton and Podziemski? Unlike Moses Moody , whose offseason improvement has been as glaring as anyone's during exhibition play, they're virtually guaranteed a spot in the nightly lineup. Kerr has made clear he wants a cemented starting five and prefers a set rotation, but the Warriors' excess of quality depth may f orce his hand into a different approach this season.
"We have a lot of flexibility this year and that's what I'm really excited about," he said on Thursday, per Sam Gordon of the San Francisco Chronicle. "...Maybe it's not the same 10 every night. We've got to see how it plays out."
Don't be surprised if Golden State uses Friday's final preseason game against the Lakers as a dress rehearsal for the 82-game grind now that his team has reached full health. No matter where Melton and Podziemski fall in the lineup, Dub Nation is bound to see plenty of them over the next few months.
