De'Anthony Melton continues to emerge as key player for 76ers: Tracking former USC players in the NBA
The USC basketball program is well-represented in the NBA, with 10 former Trojans playing in the league this season. Every two weeks, All Trojans will take stock of how the USC alums are faring.
Here is a recap of each player’s performance since our last update. Players are listed in alphabetical order.
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DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls
DeRozan was limited to 20 minutes and scored four points due to a quad strain during a March 22 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. He missed the following contest. The iron man returned to the lineup and played 36 minutes in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Before the injury, DeRozan had been on a tear. He put up a season-high 49 points and 14 rebounds in a win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 17 and followed with three consecutive games scoring at least 24 points.
Dewayne Dedmon, Philadelphia 76ers
Dedmon has started to carve out a reserve role with the 76ers after changing teams this season. He has appeared in four of the past six games. He’s averaging 1.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in those contests.
Taj Gibson, Washington Wizards
Gibson has not played in three of the past four games for the Wizards. The 16-year veteran did play nearly 15 minutes and logged six points, two rebounds and three assists against the Sacramento Kings on March 18.
Jordan McLaughlin, Minnesota Timberwolves
McLaughlin appears to be fully recovered from the calf injury that sidelined him for 30 games this season. However, he missed a game last week due to an illness and played just 15 minutes Sunday. Before that, he had been averaging 6.3 points and 5.3 assists in more than 20 minutes across a four-game span.
De’Anthony Melton, Philadelphia 76ers
Melton put together an impressive three-game stretch recently. He scored 18 points, dished five assists and made six steals in a win over the Indiana Pacers on March 18. Two nights later, he went for 19 points and six assists against the Bulls. He followed with 25 points in a rematch with Chicago, the second-most he’s scored in a game this season. He’s averaging 13.2 points across the 76ers’ past six games and is up to 1.7 steals per game this season, fourth-most in the NBA.
Chimezie Metu, Sacramento Kings
Metu played just two minutes in the Kings’ win over the Utah Jazz on Saturday, but before that he had been manning a steady role, providing a spark off the bench for 8-10 minutes per game most games. During the Kings’ seven games before Saturday, he averaged 4.1 points and 2.0 rebounds.
Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers have been red-hot lately, winning six of their past seven games, and Mobley has been a big part of that. The second-year pro has averaged 20.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in the six games since our last update. He’s logged a couple of double-doubles during that span, including a 26-point, 16-rebound effort in a win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
Onyeka Okongwu, Atlanta Hawks
Okongwu has been productive all season in his bench role, but he’s turned it up a notch lately. In the Hawks’ past seven games, he’s averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in more than 20 minutes per contest. He logged a 16-point, 14-rebound double-double March 13 and followed with a season-high 19 points the next game. With the Hawks currently holding the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, they will look for Okongwu to continue his strong play.
Kevin Porter Jr., Houston Rockets
Porter seems to have returned to the form he showed before the foot injury that forced him to miss nearly two months. He’s averaged nearly 37 minutes across the past eight games. While he might not be scoring at quite the clip he was earlier this season, averaging 17.9 points during that span, he continues to stuff the stat sheet. He’s averaged 6.0 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.6 steals since our last update. That included his first triple-double of the season, when he scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished 10 assists against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 22.
Nikola Vucevic, Chicago Bulls
Vucevic played only 15 minutes during Sunday’s game against the Lakers before being ejected. Before that, he had been his usual productive self, with four 20-point outings and five double-doubles across the Bulls’ past six games. He has 46 double-doubles this season, third-most in the NBA.
