76ers Upgrade De’Anthony Melton’s Injury Status vs. Hawks

With a lingering back injury, Philadelphia 76ers guard De’Anthony Melton hasn’t seen the court in quite some time.

After the Sixers wrapped up 2023 with a 13-point loss against the Chicago Bulls, Melton was diagnosed with lumbar spine soreness. When the Sixers re-visited their regular season series against the Bulls a few nights later, Melton missed the matchup.

Prior to last Friday’s matchup against the New York Knicks, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse was hoping to see Melton back in action to close out the week. Unfortunately, he couldn’t return as early as Friday’s game against the Knicks.

And when the Sixers hosted the Utah Jazz the following night, Melton was ruled out for a third-straight game, marking his longest string of absences this year.

Will the Streak Continue in Atlanta?

The Sixers were fortunate to get Melton back on the court for practice this week. When they participated in back-to-back sessions on Monday and Tuesday, Melton was a part of the on-court activities. However, his playing status still remains up in the air.

According to the Sixers’ injury report for Wednesday’s game against the Atlanta Hawks, Melton is questionable to play. While that’s an upgrade at this point, that doesn’t guarantee he’s on pace to play.

This season, Melton has started in 31 games for the 76ers. Averaging just under 30 minutes on the floor, the veteran guard has put up 12 points per game and three assists per game on the offensive end. He’s drained just 39 percent of his shots from the field while knocking down 36 percent of his threes.

After missing three starters in last Saturday’s loss against the Utah Jazz, the Sixers know they’ll get one guy back in Tobias Harris, while they’ll stay shorthanded due to Joel Embiid’s expected absence. Where Melton falls remains unknown at this time.