The Sixers will be without a pair of rotation players for the foreseeable future, according to the team, which issued injury updates on Wednesday on guard De’Anthony Melton and wing Robert Covington, as Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports relays.
Melton (lumbar spine stress response) – who has missed Philadelphia’s past five games, and eight of the past 10 – has completed an “offloading” period and will begin ramping up to return. Although Melton will accompany the team on the five-game road trip that begins on Thursday in Indiana, he remains sidelined for the time being and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week.
That recovery timeline suggests Melton will miss at least four more games since the 76ers are also in action on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday before concluding their trip to Utah next Thursday.
Covington hasn’t played at all this month due to left knee inflammation and a bone bruise in that knee, having sat out Philadelphia’s past 10 games. He has continued to receive treatment and will remain on the shelf for a while. According to the club, he’ll be re-evaluated in three or four weeks.
Melton has started all 33 games he has appeared in this season, while Covington was averaging 16.1 minutes per night in his first 26 games back with the 76ers.
Nicolas Batum, Danuel House and Patrick Beverley are among the players whose minutes have increased with Melton and Covington unavailable as of late. Beverley has missed the past two games with an illness, resulting in rotation minutes for Furkan Korkmaz.
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