Coming out the All-Star break, the Philadelphia 76ers have received some much-needed reinforcements. Among those to return to the lineup recently is De'Anthony Melton.
All of this season, Melton has started alongside Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt. However, following the addition of Buddy Hield, Nick Nurse now has him in a bench role. Just a few games into his return, the veteran guard's feel for the game is coming back.
On Sunday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Melton came alive off the bench. In 18 minutes off the bench, he finished with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Melton also had a strong shooting night, going 5-for-12 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc.
Following this strong performance, Melton talked about where he's at from a comfort standpoint. He felt much better on Sunday compared to the previous game conditioning-wise, and said it allowed him to do more on the floor.
"I think the biggest thing for me was just the conditioning part. I felt way more in shape this game, so it just allowed me to do way more on the court. So, I just got to keep working through it and keep getting better," Melton said postgame.
Melton made his return to action earlier this week against the Cleveland Cavaliers. It had been in first time in the lineup since January 12th as he dealt with a back injury. In that game, he notched seven points and one rebound in 16 minutes.
Seeing that Hield remained in the starting lineup, it's likely Nick Nurse will continue to bring Melton off the bench moving forward.
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