De'Anthony Melton returns for Game 3. How can it help the Sixers?

De’Anthony Melton is available to play for the Sixers in Game 3, the team confirmed on Thursday evening, giving Philadelphia a lineup boost before a must-win game against the Knicks.

“He’s always an impactful player when he’s out there,” Tyrese Maxey said about his teammate on Wednesday. “One thing I can say as a co-worker and friend, he really works. There’s never been a moment that he’s been down, he’s worked every single day to try to come back. He hasn’t given up. As a teammate, all you can do is appreciate something like that. And if he’s able to come back, I think he can change the series.”

Melton, who has been dealing with a back problem since at least January, has appeared in just five games over the last three months. It is unknown whether this is a momentary glimmer of hope or an added bit of stability for the rotation, but the veteran guard offered reassurances while speaking with reporters about his latest return-to-play process.

“We tried to be way more cautious with it this time,” Melton told reporters at Wednesday’s Sixers practice.

“I just tried to stay optimistic about it. Understanding that you’re taking it day by day and there’s a chance I could come back, and there’s a chance I could come back and help my team. I don’t want to be out there kind of trying to play and I’m being a disservice to my team just trying to be out there. I feel like I’m able to help my team, so that’s why I’m ready to go.”

Melton has been an occasionally divisive player in Philadelphia, though by most measures he has had a consistently positive impact on the team. Consider the following:

• Across 2,114 possessions this season, lineups featuring Melton have outscored the opponent by 10.3 points per 100 possessions. That is the highest mark of any player on the team, better than that of Joel Embiid (+9.6) and Tyrese Maxey (+7.1), according to Cleaning the Glass
• Philadelphia’s most-played lineup this season — an Embiid/Batum/Harris/Melton/Maxey grouping — outscored opponents by a whopping 33.3 points per 100 possessions, the best mark of any regular lineup they played and one of the best five-man groups in the league this season

This is not to suggest that Melton drives success harder than Embiid or Maxey, or that he is the difference between the Sixers being good and almost completely unbeatable. But he has a skill set that scales well alongside high-volume stars, and enough ancillary skills on both ends of the floor to help out in a variety of situations.

Right now, the main case for Melton helping is getting Buddy Hield off the floor. Philadelphia’s deadline acquisition has struggled mightily on offense, and while Hield has defended better than expected to open Philly’s series against New York, his struggles shooting the ball have rendered him near useless in a series marked by physicality, athleticism, and rebounding.

Melton has had shooting issues of his own in recent playoff runs, but his efforts on the glass from a guard spot have been a constant help this season — Philadelphia has rebounded the ball better on both ends with Melton on the floor. His length and athleticism at one of the guard spots may be most useful there in a battle against New York, the league’s No. 1 offensive rebounding team.

“[I can do] the little things,” Melton said Wednesday. “Rebounding, boxing out, getting deflections, getting steals, I feel like in the playoffs every possession matters. Holding them to one possession is important.”

(Speaking of players who impact rebounding — rookie wing Ricky Council IV has tilted the glass battle harder than any Sixers player, with opponent ORB% dropping by over four percent when he is on the floor. It’s a tiny sample size, mind you, but it matches the eye test on Council, who attacks the boards aggressively every time he is on the floor. Might be worth seeing what he can do against New York.)

On a broader level, Melton is the type of player Philly lacks throughout the rotation, a switchable defender who can both shoot, dribble, and playmake on the other end. He is not without his weaknesses, as anyone who has watched him shooting at the rim will acknowledge, but he’s a far cry from some of the unitaskers they’ve been reliant on so far against the Knicks.

Expectations should still be kept in check for Melton after such a long layoff, and as with Embiid, this is not the easiest series to stroll into if you’re carrying a knock of any kind. A healthy Melton would be at home in the slow-paced, physical style of this series, but if he’s able to play, the big question will be how his back responds on Friday morning. Don’t expect much more than 10-15 minutes from Melton in Game 3, if that.

But the six-year vet was determined to get back however and whenever he could, even if it meant playing a much smaller role than he did to open the season. His reasoning was quite simple — when the Sixers are whole, Melton believes they can compete with anybody.

“I feel like when this team is fully healthy and we got everybody going, I feel like we’re the best team in the league,” Melton said.

We’ll see if he can help prove that thesis in Game 3.