Draymond Green praises De’Anthony Melton as his role grows

SAN FRANCISCO– As it is The Golden State Warriors continue to look for momentum in his 8-game homestand, De’Anthony Melton continues to get better and better after returning from a season-ending ACL tear last year.

In a comfortable victory for Golden State 119-97 the depleted Portland Trail BlazersMelton finished with a season-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting, leading the team in scoring on a night when the offense drained 23 3-pointers.

After the game, the Dubs’ defensive star Draymond Green praised Melton’s performance.

“He’s putting the ball on the floor a lot more than he has in the past,” Green said. “But we’ve really got another ball handler, a playmaker, who’s starting to shoot really well, and obviously we know what he’s capable of defensively, so we’re just adding a different dynamic, especially to the group that he’s mostly playing with.”

Asked Draymond Green about watching De’Anthony Melton get back to this level behind the scenes after a season-ending ACL injury last year:

“We thought he was important before he got hurt… I’m very happy for him because I know how much effort he put in to come back.” pic.twitter.com/91LIgdEGZ3

— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) January 14, 2026

As the combo guard moves further away from ACL surgery and injury rehab, Melton has become the Warriors’ X-factor — a much-needed presence for a team in desperate need of consistency.

Over the last 7 games, Melton is averaging 14.1 points on 44.7% shooting from deep and 51.4% from the field in 22.4 minutes. In that stretch, he leads the team with a +52 plus/minus, playing a role in several of the Warriors’ best combinations. He provided a much-needed result from the bench for a team that occasionally struggles at that end.

“We need that,” Jimmy Butler said of Melton scoring. “But more importantly for us, we need guys who can make stops. We need guys who are able to switch, who are going to be able to communicate and guard everybody, (and) know all the coverages. And he’s one of those guys. That’s even more important for us.”

Melton’s work to return to this level

It was a long road back to the floor for Melton. The 27-year-old guard was recovering from a torn ACL in November 2024. His injury prompted the Warriors to trade him to the Nets for Dennis Schroeder (whose contract they then traded for Butler). However, friendly feelings have brought the two sides back together this season.

For Green, he appreciates Melton rejoining the Warriors, describing how he watched the guard recover behind the scenes.

“It’s great. We thought he was very important to this team before he got hurt,” Green said. “So his return was a big gift for us and to see how he plays now that he’s back from injury and the minutes are starting to add up. Although, he’s doing it in less than 20 minutes. Even though the limit has gone up. But I’m very happy for him, because I know the effort he’s put in to come back.”

The Warriors are slowly increasing Melton’s minutes limit as he regains his sea legs. Right now, he’s in the 22-25 minute range, and Kerr feels comfortable going a little over that if necessary. And as his minutes and stats continue to rise, so does Melton’s confidence.

“I feel like it’s coming,” Melton said earlier this week. “At the same time, I’m just trying to take it day by day. Game by game and just see what the next game brings. I’m feeling pretty confident, just seeing what the next day brings.”

“I feel more confident when I’m beating my defender off the dribble, making the right decision. I think when I first came back, I was so used to playing against the coaches. … Now that I’m back, it’s going against 6-7, 6-8 wings and 7-foot guys and fast guys, so I think that’s been the biggest adjustment for me.”

With four more home games in this stretch, the Warriors will need more of Melton’s play to stay afloat.