76ers’ De’Anthony Melton targeting comeback for Game 3 vs. Knicks

Nick Nurse anticipates that Melton will be listed as questionable for Game 3 on Thursday. “There’s a chance that he can possibly be available,” the 76ers head coach said.

Melton has dealt with a back injury for months now, playing in just seven of Philly’s 53 games since New Year’s Day and not playing 20 minutes in a game since January 12. He has been derailed twice in a return to play, missing the 76ers’ regular-season finale, play-in game and the first two games of the first-round series. Nurse said Melton’s injury was “concerning” and didn’t anticipate that he would be available for the play-in game, which the Sixers won against the Miami Heat.

In his most recent comeback, Melton looked solid after missing 21 straight games. The nature of his injury is unpredictable and fragile, making it tough for the 76ers to know if Melton will be available or when he’ll have to miss more time. He said that he and the team’s medical staff have exercised more caution in his latest recovery.

Now that Melton anticipates a return, the 76ers will be one step closer to being at full strength.

“I feel like when this team is fully healthy and we got everybody going, I feel like we’re the best team in the league,” Melton said. “I feel like we’ve all felt like that even from the beginning of the year. [I] understand we have had a lot of trades, but honestly, we’ve gotten better after the trade deadline.”

De’Anthony Melton targeting return for 76ers’ Game 3 vs. Knicks

Melton was a starter for the 76ers earlier in the season when they mowed down teams night after night. He was a great complement to Tyrese Maxey, providing defense and shooting. Although Kyle Lowry is in the starting lineup as the other guard, Melton could still be a valuable contributor if his back allows him to be.

The 76ers need more production from their bench to keep pace with the Knicks, whose reserves have outscored Philly’s by a whopping 58-17 margin. Those figures are on complete opposite ends of the leaderboard for this year’s playoffs so far. Having Melton back will give Philly a boost in bench production.

Although Melton’s not someone who is going to frequently create his own offense, he is a very solid spot-up shooter who can knock down looks from deep or put the ball on the deck to blow by closeouts. He’s also a versatile defender who can help make life harder for Jalen Brunson and keep up with New York on fast breaks.

Returning to play by jumping right into a playoff series is hard enough as it is. Throw in the problems Melton’s injury has given him and it makes it unclear how much he can provide for the 76ers. Even if he doesn’t end up playing, the fact that he’s simply approaching availability is a testament to his work ethic.

Maxey recognizes how hard Melton has worked to return, calling it a “journey” that his backcourt mate has not wavered in.

“There’s never been a moment that he’s been down. He’s worked every single day to try to come back. He hasn’t given up,” Maxey said. “And as a teammate, all you can do is appreciate something like that. And if he’s able to come back, I think he can change the series and it’d be great.”

Melton said that rehabbing is tough because of how “some days feel better than others and then you go two days when you’re real sore.” Just being away from the team was tough, even for someone who likes to be alone sometimes. The multiple returns and flare-ups have made this a particularly rocky injury trail. Hopefully for Melton, this last incident is the final uphill hike.

The 76ers need to do something to get back in this first-round series against the Knicks. If all goes well, they could have a very well-rounded, playoff-tested veteran back in action to help them defend home court.