Identifying Steph Curry's backcourt mate: Who will be the Warriors' shooting guard?

TURTLE BAY, Hawaii – For most of the last decade, Stephen Curry has been paired with an ideal backcourt partner. Klay Thompson, especially in his prime, turned heads with his fearsome shots and defended the opponent's best perimeter scorer regardless of strength or speed for 35 minutes, relieving Curry's defensive load while creating plenty of attacking space.

The Thompson of the late 2010s became less relevant due to injuries. Thompson, who finished second to Curry in points with the Golden State Warriors last season, left for Dallas this summer.

The training camp opened on Tuesday afternoon in Hawaii. Thompson's void is fresh and the competition for his job is a hot topic. Who will be the Warriors' shooting guard to start the season: De'Anthony Melton, Buddy Hield or Brandin Podziemski? What is the ideal outcome for curry?

“That’s a great question,” Curry said. “Of course we have options. We have a defensive-minded guy like Melton. There's a guy who's kind of a liaison guy who can put the ball on the floor (and) create like BP. Me and BP started a few times last year. You have Buddy who can shoot (and cover the spot), a veteran who knows how to play.”

The defensive choice: De'Anthony Melton

When the Warriors got past the Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs in 2022, several players and coaches were surprised at how little Memphis used Melton, a long guard who disrupted Curry, sped up transition and skillfully hit open threes.

When enough money became available this summer for the Warriors to offer the entire midfield, Melton became the consensus top target. Due to a serious back injury, he played in just 38 games for the Philadelphia 76ers last season, making him amenable to a short-term deal to revive his value.

“In 2022 (title season), we were the second-ranked defense and were good enough offensively,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “I think we were in the middle of the field. But to be truly competitive we have to have a damn good defense. That’s what interests us most.”

That's the appeal of Melton. Of the available backcourt options other than Curry, he is the most proven individual and team defender built to be a pest in a high-pressure Memphis system. He can start with quick point guards or stronger shooting guards, leaving Curry to do the easier job.

“Mentality,” Curry said. “He built his identity on it. He has the skill set, the wingspan, the foot speed and the IQ. There are a lot of guys who just pay attention to being defensive because they know that by doing so they will help the team win. He works on it mentally and physically. He just wants to be healthy and show who he can be.”

Melton spent most of his summer in San Francisco building his body and overcoming his back injury. He has full permission to enter the camp and has been pushing for the last few weeks. As he opens the season, it will be a nod from Kerr to a defense-heavy approach.

The ground clearance variant: Buddy Hield

Perhaps the most timely basketball quote from the Warriors' first practice came from Kerr, in which he talked about his preferred style of attack.

“I want to be a high-volume 3-point shooting team,” he said. “I think this is important for us. The big change is that Klay isn't here. We were fourth in the league in 3-point attempts last year. Klay probably shot eight or ten himself. We have to fill this gap. It will come from multiple people.”

Kerr said he wants Andrew Wiggins to make six or seven 3s per game (he averaged 3.6 last year). Kerr also wants Podziemski, Melton and Moses Moody to make it fly.

But of the available options on this roster behind Curry, Hield is the most natural high-volume shooter. Over the past five seasons, Hield's 2,682 three-point attempts are the second-most in the NBA, behind only Curry. He takes them to the highest level in a variety of ways and has made 40 percent of his nearly 5,000 career attempts.

Considering how the Warriors plan to play following Thompson's departure, it's that particular skill that has some on the team predicting Hield (who signed a four-year, $37 million contract) will 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 perceived size disadvantage, the Warriors outscored their opponents by 122 points with this two-man combination.

Whenever Kerr is questioned about the open starting spots, he always mentions the importance of finding the right five-man units that fit together. Past metrics are part of the equation. Podziemski, the team's leading plus/minus player last season, appears in almost every lineup.

He's not as physically gifted a defender as Melton or as fearsome a shooter as Hield, but there's a strong organizational belief in his career. Podziemski has been vocal about his belief that he has made a leap as an individual defender this summer and wants to hit about eight 3s per game to score more points and carry the playmaking load.

There's an argument that Podziemski fits best as a busy bench guard supporting Curry, someone who can lead the second unit but also play alongside Curry for long stretches, including the final stretch of most halves.

“To sum it up, I like where we are in terms of our options,” Curry said.

(Photo of Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski: Noah Graham / NBAE via Getty Images)