TURTLE BAY, Hawaii — For the better part of the past decade, Stephen Curry was linked to an ideal backcourt partner. Klay Thompson, particularly in his prime, spread the floor with his feared shooting and defended the opponent’s best perimeter scorer for 35 minutes, no matter strength or speed, easing Curry’s defensive load while generating acres of offensive space.
The Thompson of the late 2010s diminished because of injury. The Thompson who still finished second behind Curry on the Golden State Warriors in points last season departed for Dallas this summer.
Training camp opened Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. Thompson’s void is fresh, and the competition for his vacancy is a hot topic. Who will be the Warriors’ starting shooting guard when the season starts: De’Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield or Brandin Podziemski? What is the ideal result for Curry?
“That’s a great question,” Curry said. “We have options, obviously. We have a defensive-minded guy like Melton. You got a guy who is kind of a connector, can put the ball on the floor (and) create like BP. Me and BP started a couple times last year. You got Buddy who can shoot (and) space the floor, a veteran who knows how to play.”
The defensive choice: De’Anthony Melton
When the Warriors advanced past the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs in 2022, several players and coaches were surprised how little Memphis deployed Melton, a rangy guard who bothered Curry, zoomed in transition and capably hit open 3s.
When enough money freed up this summer for the Warriors to offer the full midlevel, Melton emerged as the consensus top target. He only appeared in 38 games last season with the Philadelphia 76ers due to a tricky back injury, making him amenable to a short-term deal to resuscitate his value.
“In (the) 2022 (title season), we were the second-ranked defense, and we were good enough offensively,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “I think we were middle of the pack. But to really be competitive, we have to have a hell of a defense. That’s what we’re most interested in.”
That’s the appeal of Melton. Of the available backcourt options next to Curry, he is the most proven individual and team defender, built up as a pest in a high-pressure Memphis scheme. He can start on quick point guards or stronger shooting guards, leaving the easier task to Curry.
“Mindset,” Curry said. “He’s built his identity around it. He has the skill set, the wingspan, the foot speed, the IQ. There are a lot of guys that just hang their hat on being a defensive guy, knowing that’s how they help the team win. He works on it mentally and physically. He just wants to be healthy and showcase who he can be on that end.”
Melton spent most of his summer in San Francisco building up his body and getting past his back injury. He is fully cleared entering camp and has been scrimmaging the last couple weeks. If he starts to open the season, it’s a nod from Kerr to a defense-heavy approach.
The floor-spacing option: Buddy Hield
Perhaps the most newsworthy basketball quote from the Warriors’ first practice came from Kerr, discussing his preferred style of offensive attack.
“I want to be a high-volume 3-point shooting team,” he said. “I think that’s important for us. The big shift is Klay is not here. We were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts last year. Klay probably shot eight or 10 himself. We’re going to have fill that void. It’s going to come from multiple people.”
Kerr said he wants Andrew Wiggins to take six or seven 3s per game (he averaged 3.6 last year). Kerr also wants Podziemski, Melton and Moses Moody to let it fly.
But of the available options on this roster behind Curry, the most natural high-volume shooter is Hield. In the last five seasons, Hield’s 2,682 attempted 3s are second-most in the NBA only behind Curry. He gets them up at a high clip in a variety of ways and has made 40 percent of his nearly 5,000 career attempts.
Considering how the Warriors want to play in the wake of Thompson’s departure, that specific skill is what has some within the team predicting Hield (who signed a four-year, $37 million deal) to be earn around 25 minutes a night. But does his spacing mask his defensive deficiencies?
The long-term option: Brandin Podziemski
Curry and Podziemski shared the floor for 909 minutes last season. Despite a presumed size disadvantage, the Warriors outscored opponents by 122 points with that two-man combination.
Whenever Kerr has been grilled about the open starting spots, he continues to mention the importance of finding the correct five-man units that fit together. Past metrics are part of the equation. Podziemski, the team’s leading plus/minus player last season, pops in just about every lineup.
He isn’t as physically gifted a defender as Melton or as feared a shooter as Hield, but there’s a strong organizational belief in his career arc. Podziemski has been vocal about his belief that he’s made a leap as an individual defender this summer and wants to get up around eight 3s per game, shouldering more of the scoring and playmaking load.
There’s an argument that Podziemski fits best as a high-usage bench guard who backs up Curry, someone who can run the second unit but also play next to Curry for large stretches, including the closing time of most halves.
“To summarize it: I like where we are at in terms of our options,” Curry said.
(Photo of Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski: Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)
