76ers Undecided on De'Anthony Melton’s Playing Status vs. Raptors

De'Anthony Melton is dealing with a minor setback on Friday.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ streak of having a fully healthy starting five unfortunately didn’t last very long. As the team entered its Monday night matchup against the Chicago Bulls with a clear injury report from a starting five perspective, they went down a man three quarters into the game.

The veteran forward Nic Batum dealt with hamstring soreness, which excluded him from the fourth quarter. After the game, Batum was diagnosed with a hamstring strain, which held him out of practice the following day and kept him off the floor for the Sixers’ Wednesday night battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Unfortunately, the trend for Batum will continue on Friday night when the Sixers face the Toronto Raptors. As Batum works carefully on getting healthy, he’ll miss his second-straight outing this week, with hopes of returning much sooner than later.

What’s Going on With De’Anthony Melton?

Similar to Batum, De’Anthony Melton recently suffered a setback midway through a game. As the Sixers battled it out with the Timberwolves on Wednesday, a knee to the thigh caused Melton to spend some time on the floor, grabbing at the area of impact.

At first, spectators feared it was Melton’s knee — especially when he was slow to get up and assisted back to the locker room. After the game, Sixers head coach Nick Nurse clarified that Melton was dealing with a thigh injury, which was officially diagnosed as a contusion.

Nurse Provides Injury Update for Melton

The Sixers are heading into Friday’s game with Melton listed as questionable. In the event he fails to suit up for the Sixers to face the Raptors, it would mark the first time this season Melton misses a game. 

Earning a full-time starting job with the 76ers in 2023-2024, Melton got off to a slow start, which quickly turned around. In the month of December, he averaged ten points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. 

While his shooting numbers have fluctuated and are currently on the downtrend, shooting just 38 percent in the previous nine games, Melton’s versatility bodes well when playing alongside the emerging All-Star Tyrese Maxey.