Celtics vs. 76ers: Will De’Anthony Melton Make Preseason Debut?

As expected, the Philadelphia 76ers didn’t head into their preseason debut on Sunday with all hands on deck. Easing their way back into the NBA grind, the Sixers offered rest to their players where it was necessary.

De’Anthony Melton was among the handful of players who missed the team’s preseason opener over the weekend. Melton joined the guard James Harden, center Joel Embiid, and the sharpshooter Furkan Korkmaz in getting the night off in Boston.

Although the Sixers put up a good fight for the majority of the matchup, they ultimately fell short, losing 116-106. On Wednesday, the Sixers will host their first preseason game, welcoming a rematch against the Celtics at the Wells Fargo Center.

Once again, Philadelphia will be shorthanded, missing a handful of key players. This time, however, Melton is expected to get the nod to play.

James Harden's Preseason Debut On Hold Still

On Wednesday morning, Melton was a participant in the Sixers’ shootaround at the arena. When he missed Sunday’s matchup on the road, Melton wasn’t dealing with any setbacks. 76ers head coach Nick Nurse hinted that the veteran guard might be dealing with fatigue.

After getting the day off on Monday and participating in a practice session on Tuesday, Melton is on pace to pick up his first set of game action this offseason. And with James Harden set to miss another matchup, Melton could find himself in the starting five alongside Tyrese Maxey.

During Melton’s debut season with the Sixers, he appeared in 77 matchups. In 58 of those games, he got the nod to start, and averaged a career-high 28 minutes per game. Amid his first run in Philadelphia, Melton averaged ten points and three assists on the offensive end while draining 39 percent of his shots from three.

Defensively, Melton was a force on the perimeter and averaged a career-high 1.6 steals. He also came down with four rebounds per game.

Heading into the 2023-2024 season, Melton is approaching the final year of his current contract. The upcoming run serves as a good opportunity for Melton to secure himself another solid payday after he earned a four-year contract worth $34 million with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020.

Wednesday will serve as a good opportunity for the Sixers to get another look at Melton, as he hasn’t had any game action since May.