Turns out De’Anthony Melton wasn’t just fumbling the ball and clanking threes for fun last season. The dude was playing through some serious pain, rocking not one, but *two* messed up thumbs. He just revealed he went under the knife this offseason for surgery on each of his thumbs, and honestly, this changes everything for how we look at his game last year.
The Hidden Struggle That Messed With His Shot and Handles
It’s wild to think about what Melton was dealing with. Last season, he coughed up a career-high 1.9 turnovers per game. And those threes? Rough. He shot a paltry 29.4 percent from beyond the arc. We saw him having real trouble shooting and handling the ball, especially in that last month of the season. Now it makes sense why things just felt off. That discomfort from the thumb injuries totally contributed to his inconsistencies, and get this, he couldn’t even make the classic NBA three-point gesture! I mean, you know it’s bad when you can’t even hold up your fingers to celebrate. He actually averaged 12.3 points per game, which was a nice bounceback after rehabbing an ACL tear early in the 2024-25 season, but these thumb issues were clearly holding him back from his real potential.
A Shocking Reveal That Could Raise The Ceiling
This news is pretty wild, especially for a team that usually keeps things under wraps with “mysterious illnesses” and “secret surgeries” until they’re unavoidable. Melton being transparent about this is actually some of the best preseason news in years. He’s been otherwise healthy for the start of the season, which is huge, especially after dealing with a knee rehab last year and back problems two years ago. When Melton is healthy, he’s a seriously good defensive player. We’re talking consistently averaging two or more “stonks,” which is steals plus blocks, folks! He’s also an above-average three-point shooter when he’s got all his digits working right. He’s not a true point guard, but when he’s got a proper grip, he can bring the ball up the court without embarrassing the offense. If this team wants to find success this season, it’s gonna be on the back of their defense. Getting a healthy, ten-fingered Melton out there is going to be absolutely critical for that. We need to see him out there for more than the 23 minutes per game he got in 49 games last season. If he’s truly past these injuries, watch out. He’s poised for a massive bounceback, and that could be a huge lift for the team’s floor.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
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