Warriors' De'Anthony Melton: Dazzles in first start

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Melton scored 19 points (5-11 FG, 5-8 3Pt, 4-6 FT) and added 10 rebounds, three steals and two assists across 27 minutes Sunday in the Warriors' 127-116 win over the Thunder.

Melton missed five straight games with a right lower back strain before returning to action in Friday's loss to the Cavaliers in a reserve role, but head coach Steve Kerr opted to swap Melton into the starting five Sunday as a replacement for Gary Payton. The 26-year-old capitalized on the opportunity, notching an impressive all-around line en route to finishing with his fourth career double-double. After the win, Kerr confirmed that he intends to keep Melton in the starting five going forward, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, making Melton worthy of a look in 12-team leagues or deeper where he might be available. The Warriors still appear committed to running a deep rotation that often includes 11 or 12 men, however, which could make Melton's minutes somewhat volatile from game to game. Melton may have benefited from a boosted minutes total Sunday in part due to the Warriors running more small-ball lineups to counter the Thunder, who lost star center Chet Holmgren (hip) to injury in the first quarter.