How Will De'Anthony Melton's Injury Affect Warriors?

The veteran guard scored 14 points on 6-12 field shooting and snatched a clutch steal against Mavericks star Luka Doncic. 

Melton's mixture of offense and defensive effort grew the guard close to Kerr.

"I feel so bad for De'Anthony," Kerr said. "He was such a perfect fit for us. We were so excited to have him. He was clearly going to be our starter next to Steph. Good news is, he's a young guy, and the surgery is pretty routine these days. He should be able to come back and resume his career very well. I feel awful for him and bad for us too."

Melton's absence leaves quite the void in the Warriors roster. Firstly, his ability to handle the ball helps out Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, which is evident in the Warriors' 102-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday. The Warriors struggled to keep the ball in control because the Clippers' defense honed in on Curry and Green's two-man game.

The presence of Melton would have allowed Curry room to breathe and trust another guard during clutch time. 

In addition to his ball-handling ability, Melton's defensive effort stands out, especially in the on-off numbers. According to Basketball Reference, Melton led the starters with a 14.4 on-court plus-minus per 100 possessions and tied with Curry at 6.2 on-off plus-minus per 100 possessions. 

Without Melton, the Warriors must find a player who can contribute to both sides of the ball. Unless Mike Dunleavy Jr. finds a replacement elsewhere, the Warriors must hope second-year guard Brandin Podziemski snaps out of the sophomore slump.