De'Anthony Melton Is Locked In at the Right Time

Only thing that's really gave us, you know, problems or whatever it is, is the fast, young, athletic teams. You know what I mean? And most of those teams aren't going to the playoffs. So we lost a lot of our guys and we took OKC to the wire in OKC. So it's like, we look at stuff like that where just like, we can compete with anybody. We just gotta, you know, get healthy and find the right time and just make sure guys are ready to go when it's time.

De'anthony Melton joining us. All guests on 95.7 The Game appear on the River Islands guest line. Isn't it time for you to discover the islands? River Islands Islands in Lathrop. Welcome, De'anthony Melton. How you doing?

With the fresh cut. Yeah, you got the team barber or you got your own barber?

How'd that work? Yeah, team. I went to the team barber, man.

Okay. Hey, you mind if I take care of one slight piece of business?

Let me hear it.

Are you ready?

Yeah.

You're listening to 95.7 The Game, KGMZ-FM and HD1 San Francisco on Audacy Sports Station and the home of the Golden State Warriors and Valkyries. Let me start with your individual season. You had injury a couple years ago, you came back last year, you got hurt, you played this entire season at a, you know, you've been, you played, you've been healthy. How do you feel physically from where you were, let's say, 3 years ago? And all in all, how you just feeling about your game moving forward and, you know, the injuries you've had in the past?

Thinking about 3 years ago, I mean, that's a little tough, you know what I mean? But I mean, ultimately, I mean, I feel good, you know, in terms of my knee. Me and everything like that. But I think with the season, you know, other stuff comes up, um, you know, especially the way I play, you know, uh, pretty physical out there, just offensively and defensively. So, um, I mean, you know, bumps, bruises that come with the sport, um, you know, it's stuff I'm battling with. But, uh, ultimately, I mean, I feel, I feel well, and I think that's the most important thing.

D, let me ask you this. How, how, how can you compare, contrast your job when Steph's out there compared to where he's not? Like, is it that big of a deal that a fan thinks it is for you? Or anybody for that matter.

Not necessarily. I mean, Steph, Steph is, he's so amazing. He's so, you know, unique that he doesn't really need the ball. So, you know, the amount of times I had the ball in my hands now, I mean, it's pretty frequent. But even with him, you just, you know, you know, he likes to come off of pin downs, he still likes to come off of, you know, pinaways, stuff like that. And he's just always trying to create advantages. So Uh, he's with, he's with whatever, you know. He understands that he's gonna get his, he's gonna figure it out. And, um, then just my job is just stay aggressive. And when I'm aggressive, you know, it helps the team out and it helps him out too.

We, uh, we're joined by De'anthony Melton. He and I always, uh, go back and forth about when you play with Steph Curry and maybe going back even a little further when Klay was here. And he would say, Guru would say, that's going to be the easiest basketball of De'anthony Melton's career, getting to play with those guys. And I agree with him on the one hand. On On the other hand, I'm like, it's not that easy because those guys are so elevated. You gotta fit in and do— like, how big of a difference is it personally with your style if Steph's on the floor or not?

Yeah.

Mindset change?

I mean, the mindset a little bit, just like, you know, acknowledge where he's at. Like I've said before early on, like, it was one time he swung it to the wing and, you know, he cut down the middle and then I'm on the opposite wing and he kind of came back running towards me and I was just like, oh snap, like this is the time where like, you know what I mean? You see where the pin, the pin down or the slip or whatever it is and just like, those are the type of stuff you gotta be knowledgeable about when he's on the floor. Just, you know, sometimes when he's running around and he's, you know, trying to create advantages for us that, you know, sometimes you're locked in and on, you know, on par with him. And sometimes he's just like, you know what, go, like go, just, just, just do it. Like, because he's been denied the last 10, 15 seconds of the possession and he's like, And he understands he wants to keep the music playing, you know, same thing Steve says. So try not to get too stagnant about finding him the ball and, you know, and try to get him open, but just, just know he's gonna figure out a way to get the ball at the same time.

Walk us through, because we kind of asked the coach this, you got 9 games left, you'll be in the play-in against who we don't know yet, but do you get that sense we're almost at the end and if we get Horford and Steph back, watch out whoever we play?

Is that the feeling? Oh, most definitely. I mean, I feel like we can, you know, compete with any team out there. I think, you know, only thing that's really gave us, you know, problems or whatever it is, is the fast, young, athletic teams. Got it, got it.

You know what I mean?

And most of those teams aren't going to the playoffs, so, you know, we've been in a lot of great games. You know, if you look at the top of the West, I mean, Houston, we just beat Houston, you know, what, without him. And in San Antonio, we've had a good series against them this year in terms of, you know, beat them the first two times at home. We were up most of the game at home here. Ultimately, we lost. But at the end of the day, like, those two teams that we— obviously, then OKC. But, you know, we lost a lot of our guys, and we took OKC to the wire in OKC. So it's like, we look at stuff like that. We're just like, we can compete with anybody. We just gotta, you know, get healthy. Yeah. And find the right time and just make sure guys are ready to go when it's time.

De'anthony Melton joining us on 95.7 The Game. I got it, like, I always love when a guy comes to the Warriors because then I can watch a guy 50 games instead of just 5 and you really get a feel for him. I feel like I got a better feel for you now as a player than when you were in Memphis when we saw you, you know, 8 or 10 times a year.

For sure.

What is the 3-point shooting? Is that like the last thing that's coming around?

Yeah.

Because you're a better shooter than you've shot it this year from 3.

Man, I'm still so shocked in the way I'm shooting it this year. It's just so frustrating, you know what I mean? It's so frustrating. I mean, ultimately, I've been dealing with stuff just in and throughout. So, but that's nothing to say at least that I just gotta shoot better. I think some of it comes down to, you know, figuring out ways to be aggressive. I think more this year I'm getting, you know, it's got— it's a little bit more off the dribble, you know, and then compared to recent years, I've been more of a catch-and-shoot, you know, type of, type of shooter. So now it's like figuring out ways to still get good looks and still feel confident and just be ready to shoot. You know what I mean?

Can I ask you if it, if it feels good coming off your hand, or right when it comes off your hand, you don't like the way it feels?

You know what I mean? I mean, sometimes, sometimes, most of the time it feels good coming off my hands, and I think that's the frustrating part, you know what I mean? It's like, it feels so good, it feels so great coming off my hand, but it just don't drop.

Yeah.

You know what I mean? That's the frustrating part. And some of them just like, you know, they don't, they don't feel the best, and I think that's very good. You go back to your mechanics, you go back to, you know, why you kind of shot like that, or why you kind of rushed your shot in certain instances.

What I like about you though is you don't stop shooting.

Yeah.

So you got that mentality. So that's, that's half the battle. Let me ask you this, man. I ain't bringing up, you know, bad memories, but it's real. So you got— you're telling me your brother Moses Moody's been out, hurt, comes back, first game having an impact on the game, and then the team has to watch that happen to him. You lose him for the year, and then you got to resume right away basketball activities. How hard was that?

Man, man, that was just— it was just devastating to watch, like, you know what I mean? Because, you know, seeing how much Moses works and, you know, works when nobody's looking, and just the time he put into it, um, and just, you know, the, the amount of need we needed from this year is, is— that was just devastating to watch. And, you know, how he was having such a great game and, you know, He loves the game of basketball. So for me, just to see that for him, it just, it just hurt, you know what I mean? And I know that feeling of, you know, man, something like that, that's just like, it's a lot of time. Like, you know what I mean? No doubt. And then like the tough part, it's crazy to say it hasn't even started. Like, you know what I mean? Like the first initial, yeah, it's, you know, it's shocking and everything like that. But, you know, the crying starts once you, you know, Once you start to get that surgery and once you go through that, like, that's an everyday grind. And I just hope, you know, mentally he's in the right space and right place to, to battle through that.

Uh, De'anthony Melton joining us on 95.7 The Game. Last one for me, uh, De'anthony, it's, it's about— you might not have been as low as, as, uh, Moody is now, but you've kind of gotten your career back in a way this year. You're— you have a player option. Uh, what are going to be the kind of things, um, that are going to determine your decision on opting out, opting in, and then where you go? Is it money? Is it the right situation? Don't say all of it.

I mean, in that instance, you know—

You opting out?

I mean, I've been in this—

You gotta opt out. I'm just messing. Well, I mean, we know. You don't have to say it, man.

This one I do in 4 hours.

Oh man. I mean, man, I've been in this been in this league a decent amount of time, man, now. So 8 years is a lot of time. I've put in a lot of time, effort, and work into this, you know what I mean? So, um, I think, I think that, you know, should be rewarded. And, and I think for anybody, you know, you put in that much time, effort, work, and, you know, you, you've seen the results and you've seen what, how much impactful you are and, and what you have done. Um, I mean, you want, like I said, you want to be rewarded for that. So whatever, whatever comes with it, it comes with it. But at the end of the day, you want to get We're rewarded for your services.

Yeah, thank you. Yeah, we, uh—

Yeah, D-Melt.

Well, we hope to see you next year, man. Keep doing your thing, man. You've been fun to watch, man. I'm glad things are turning around for you, man.

No doubt, no doubt.

All right, De'anthony Melton, ladies and gentlemen.