Who’s In, Who’s Out as Warriors’ Injury Crisis Continues

The Golden State Warriors have spent much of the season navigating instability, and head coach Steve Kerr once again finds himself reshuffling his rotation on the fly.

Wednesday night’s road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, the second game of a back-to-back, will look markedly different from the night before. Guard De’Anthony Melton, who erupted for a season-high 28 points in Tuesday’s 113–109 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, will sit out due to left knee injury management, per the official NBA injury report.

The decision was expected — Melton has not played both ends of a back-to-back all season — but it still landed with some whiplash given how well he looked just 24 hours earlier.

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Kerr Praises Melton’s Comeback After Long Layoff

Kerr praised Melton’s perseverance and professionalism following his best performance of the season.

“It’s really fun to see him performing at this level after being out for a couple years,” Kerr told reporters. “He’s such a great guy, such a fantastic teammate. Hell of a player, and I’m really happy for him that he’s healthy and playing at a high level.”

Melton is still working his way back from ACL surgery in December 2024, and Golden State has been deliberate with his workload, gradually increasing his minutes while closely monitoring how his knee responds.

That cautious approach explains why Melton remains unavailable on back-to-backs — even when he looks capable of more.

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Melton Felt Good, But Warriors Err on the Side of Caution

Following Tuesday’s game, Melton sounded optimistic about his progress, even acknowledging internal discussions about the back-to-back.

“I feel good. I feel solid,” Melton said. “Taking it day by day, see how tomorrow holds up. See how my body holds up and just keep checking along.”

He added that the team prioritized building tolerance through incremental minutes rather than pushing too fast.

“There were conversations about this one,” Melton said. “But we kind of err on the side of the minute increase and seeing how that felt on me.”

Asked whether he feels fully back to his pre-injury form, Melton was candid.

“Not necessarily back to 100 percent, but I’m working there,” he said. “It’s a long journey.”

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Warriors Injury List Remains Crowded

Melton joins a lengthy list of unavailable players, including Stephen Curry (knee), Jimmy Butler (ACL), Kristaps Porziņģis (illness), and Seth Curry (sciatica).

Meanwhile, Draymond Green, who logged 32 minutes while starting at center Tuesday, is listed as questionable due to a lower-back issue.

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Al Horford Cleared to Return After Best Game of Season

There is, however, a silver lining.

Veteran center Al Horford has been cleared to return after sitting out the Pelicans game for load management. It will be interesting to see how Kerr uses the 39-year-old center if Green is available.

Horford is coming off his best performance of the season, a stunning display in Sunday’s 128–117 upset win over the Denver Nuggets.

Inserted into the starting lineup, Horford finished with 22 points, seven assists, and six three-pointers, igniting an offense that snapped Golden State’s two-game losing streak.

“Once I realized I had to start, I just needed to make sure that I brought energy,” Horford said. “I wanted us to play with pace, play fast, and get the ball moving.”

He scored 17 points in just 14 first-half minutes, shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from three-point range, eclipsing his previous season-high and marking his most made threes in a game this year.

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Another Night of Adjustments Ahead

With injuries continuing to dictate availability, Kerr’s rotation roulette shows no signs of slowing.

As the Warriors push through another back-to-back with a shorthanded roster, the challenge remains the same: balance caution with competitiveness, protect long-term health, and find enough continuity to survive night to night.

For now, Golden State will once again rely on adaptability — and the steady presence of a 39-year-old center — as it navigates yet another reshuffled lineup.

Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo