CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers returned to practice on Wednesday after the All-Star break, looking to recapture their pre-break rhythm. They have not played since Feb. 15; on Thursday they play host to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Before the All-Star break, coach Doc Rivers suggested De’Anthony Melton needed the break the most due to the nagging injuries he has been dealing with and the number of minutes he was playing.
On Wednesday, Rivers said he sees a much better Melton.
“De’Anthony just needed the break to reset himself,” said Rivers. “He said he did that and he’s ready. So that’s good.”
All season, Melton has dealt with a back issue, but has put up career numbers across the board, producing at a high level for Philadelphia.
“It’s amazing,” Rivers added. “It really is because he still has the same issue. He’s learned how to manage it a little bit better. I think we’ve done a better job at in games where we can rest him more, we have, but I don’t know if that’s been better for him as a player.”
Rivers said there are two factors when it comes to Melton’s minutes: rest and rhythm.
“It’s two things going on at the same time,” he added. “So that’s something we talked about over the break. There’s a fine line with too much rest giving guys and then there’s a rhythm to keep playing him. So we got to walk that line. Especially, during these games.”
Melton has started 45 games, a career-high, and he has played 1,537 minutes with 25 games still to go. The 1,657 minutes he played for the Grizzlies in the 2021-22 season were a career-high.
Therefore, Rivers wants to balance resting Melton with keeping his rhythm on the floor. He also needs to be ready for the playoffs when the Sixers will need him to defend the opposition’s best scorer on a nightly basis.
“It makes him feel better, but it affects his game,” Rivers finished. “So we may have to find a happy medium there.”
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