Melton knows they have to play for Steph.
The Golden State Warriors finished the regular season at 37-45 and landed in the 10th seed in the Western Conference.
It was a rough year, with injuries gutting their roster for long stretches and forcing players into roles they never expected to fill.
But as the play-in tournament begins, the mood has shifted, and De'Anthony Melton is a big reason why.
At Warriors practice, Melton was asked what it means to have Stephen Curry back on the floor after the two-time MVP missed 27 straight games with a right knee issue, and his answer was short but heavy.
"We just gotta do our best and play hard for him," Melton said. "Put our bodies on for him because he was definitely doing it for us."
Melton's Bounce-Back Season
That quote tells you everything about the relationship between Melton and this Warriors team.
The 27-year-old guard came back from ACL surgery in December and turned in a career year, averaging 12.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game across 49 appearances.
He became a starter when Curry went down on January 30 and carried the scoring weight during a brutal stretch where the Warriors went just 9-18 without their franchise cornerstone.
There were rough patches along the way, including a run in late March where his shooting bottomed out, but Melton never stopped competing or defending at a high level.
Curry Returns at the Right Time
The timing of Curry's return could not have worked out better. In 42 games this season, Curry put up 26.6 points per game on 46.8 percent shooting and 39.2 percent from three.
He came back on April 5 against Houston and immediately scored 29 points, reminding everyone that his presence changes everything about how the Warriors run their offense.
Melton talked after the Kings win about how much space opens up when Curry is running around screens and drawing attention, and the numbers back that up. Golden State looks like a completely different team with Curry on the floor.
What Comes Next
The Warriors are set to face the Los Angeles Clippers in the 9-10 play-in game on Wednesday.
It is a tough draw against a Clippers team that went 42-40 and won the regular season series 3-1, but Melton's words reflect a group that is not backing down.
They watched Curry battle through pain for them earlier in the year before the knee finally sidelined him. Now they want to return that favor when it matters most.
Golden State might be a long shot to get out of the play-in, especially against a Los Angeles Clippers squad with Kawhi Leonard playing at an MVP level.
But this Warriors team has something to play for beyond wins, and Melton captured that perfectly.