De’Anthony Melton frustrated by being sidelined, talks free agency
CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers came up just short to the New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs after a tough six games. The entire series was decided, cumulatively, by one point in favor of New York. The Sixers repeatedly were unable to come up with that one clutch play.
It would have helped if De’Anthony Melton had been able to play in this series. He was cleared medically to return, but coach Nick Nurse was understandably hesitant to play him given how much time he had missed with the back issue. He only played 7:12 in Game 4, and he was ineffective due to rust and other issues.
It was tough to sit by and watch the series knowing he could have made a difference.
“It hurt,” Melton said on Friday. “It hurt just to watch my guys going out there. It hurt to watch us losing games that I felt like would be easy dubs. I felt like we were losing games that I could help that we might’ve clawed through. With the team that we have, I still feel like we was one of the best teams in the league fully healthy and fully engaged. All that type stuff, it’s sad that we had an abrupt end, but I think I gained a lot from this.”
Melton will enter free agency in the offseason. It is a tough situation considering how much time he missed and whether the back issue will scare teams away.
However, he is confident his back injury will be fine and he will not need surgery. After two years in Philadelphia, he believes there’s still work to be done.
“For sure,” he stated. “I think the two years I’ve established myself here. I love the city. I love the team. The guys are hilarious. I love the ambition that everybody brings coming to the games. I love the fans. I love that they screaming, cheering. I love how hard they are on us at the same time, but I do feel like it’s unfinished business and I feel like with the core that we do have, it’s one of the better ones. Everything that it brings to the table.”
When healthy, Melton established himself as a starter with the Sixers. He shot the ball well from deep, and he brought the proper energy level to the defensive end of the floor. He was well-rounded, and Philadelphia offered him a starting opportunity.
“Establishing myself as a starter was real important to me coming into this year and I felt like I was doing that and just — I was just getting rolling and understanding what I have to do to win games for this team,” he finished. “For this caliber of a city, winning games is the most important thing. It was fun and I understand what needs to be done and I think that’s the most important thing.”
