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The Philadelphia 76ers wasted no time improving their roster this summer. Needing to add depth and a little bit of a defensive swagger, the team went out and signed PJ Tucker and Danuel House via free agency. The Sixers also pulled off a draft-night trade for Grizzlies guard De’Anthony Melton, at the same time getting off Danny Green’s contract.
And my, what a summer the latter has had.
On Sunday, August 22, Melton won the Drew League. Even more impressive, he was named ‘Player of the Game’ in the final game against Black Pearl Elite after a strong 19-point, five rebound, and four assist performance.
Melton wasted no time setting his sights on this season, however.
“I finally did it,” said Melton after the game, “Finally got me a little Drew League championship. It’s going to be a great thing to go into the season and keep getting better.”
Insider: ‘Melton’s Name Has Been All Over the Drew’
Melton’s great play in the Drew League has only raised expectations heading into this season. And according to Sixers insider Austin Krell, Melton should add a completely new dimension to the Sixers’ bench unit.
“Not high on using recreational offseason play as a barometer for production in NBA games,” Krell tweeted on Monday, “That being said, De’Anthony Melton’s name has been all over the Drew. He’s going to have a chance to elevate the guard play in the second unit in a way that no Embiid team has seen before.”
Krell’s right about reading too much into strong summer showings. Just ask Knicks savior-turned-Atlanta-Hawk Kevin Knox. Often, players excel against their limited competition, only to struggle during the daily NBA grind.
Perhaps more intriguing is Melton’s potential as Philadelphia’s best role player in some time. Keep in mind, after the team went all in on Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, guard depth has been an issue.
Could Melton Become Philadelphia’s Best Bench Player?
But the Drew League wasn’t Melton’s first showing on a basketball court. He has several seasons of tape backing Krell’s claim. Melton had a solid showing last season as a bench contributor on a Grizzlies team that finished second in the West.
And the Sixers need that level of playmaking off the bench. The non-starters finished 27th in scoring and 26th in assists per game last season, per Statmuse.
Among last year’s Sixers’ bench players, Melton’s 2.7 assists and 10.8 points per game last season would have led the way, and by a fair margin. Only Georges Niang’s 9.2 points are in the same zip code as Melton’s, while Shake Milton’s 2.5 helps is at least in the ballpark.
Even Melton’s 4.5 rebounds per night would have been the most by bench players not named DeAndre Jordan and Andre Drummond. For those keeping score at home, Drummond and Jordan are eight and nine inches taller than Melton, respectively.
That lack of quality (or even average) depth made it impossible for head coach Doc Rivers to compete with the likes of deeper teams in Miami, Boston, and Milwaukee.
At the very least, Melton’s former teammate Ja Morant has faith in the Drew League champ.
“@DeAnthony Melton i need to pop out wit you gang👀👀,” Morant tweeted over the weekend.
The Sixers went all in on older, experienced players (see Tucker and James Harden). The time for this team to win is now, and that window isn’t getting any longer.
There’s little stopping Melton from becoming Philadelphia’s go-to sixth man.
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