76ers ‘Hope’ Two Starters Return Before NBA All-Star Break

It’s no secret the Philadelphia 76ers are dealing with health concerns at this point in the season. Lately, they’ve been one of the most injured teams in the league, dealing with several notable absences each game.

While several players have been in and out of the team’s rotation, there are multiple players who haven’t seen the court in weeks. Three of them happen to be starters.

Tyrese Maxey’s backcourt partner, De’Anthony Melton, has been nursing a back injury this year. He first started dealing with his setback at the beginning of January. After a three-game absence, Melton returned to the court on January 10. He would last just two games before going out again.

Since January 12, Melton hasn’t taken the court for the 76ers. When the Sixers faced the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, Melton missed his 16th consecutive game. In total, he’s been out for 22 of the Sixers’ 53 games.

Philly’s starting forward, Nic Batum, is in a similar situation. Dealing with a hamstring injury, Batum’s recent stretch of absences started on January 30. Amidst a five-game road trip, the Sixers downgraded Batum against the Golden State Warriors.

While his setback seemed pretty minor at the time, it’s become more significant than the public expected. With an absence against the Cavs on Monday night, Batum missed his eighth-straight matchup. Being that he’s dealt with other setbacks throughout the season, Batum has missed 17 games for the Sixers since making his debut on November 6.

Soon, the 76ers will get a much-needed break. Before they reach All-Star weekend, the Sixers have one game left on the schedule for this week as they are set to host the Miami Heat on Wednesday night in South Philly.

Could Melton and Batum make their way back for some action before the break? 76ers head coach Nick Nurse recently revealed that could be a possibility.

“I hope so,” Nurse said late last week. “I hope so. I think that there’s a decent chance at that — that both [De’Anthony Melton] and Nico [Batum] get back before the All-Star break — I’m hoping.”

When the Sixers defeated the Cavaliers on Monday night to collect their second-straight win, they pulled off the upset while missing four of their five regular starters. Along with Batum and Melton, the Sixers rolled without Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris.

The latter player popped up on the injury report hours leading up to the tip-off in Cleveland. Dealing with a hip impingement, the Sixers ruled Harris as questionable before ruling him out officially. As for Embiid, he’s going to miss an extended period of time as he recovers from a meniscus injury.