De’Anthony Melton Is A Perfect Fit

Leading up to the draft, it was essentially a foregone conclusion that Daryl Morey would trade the Sixers first-round pick for a more established role player. There were a ton of rumors floating around about the possibility of Morey trying to recreate the 2018 Houston Rockets by acquiring Eric Gordon with that pick, and then signing P.J. Tucker in free agency.

 

In the end, Morey got a member of the 2018 Rockets, just not a player that anyone expected. About two milliseconds into the five minutes the Sixers had to either make or trade the #23 overall pick, Morey pulled the trigger. The Sixers traded Danny Green and their first round pick to Memphis for guard De’Anthony Melton, who never played a game for the Houston Rockets (he was traded to Phoenix after the draft).

 

 

If you know very little about De’Anthony Melton, you’re not alone. A back-up guard on a team with Ja Morant is not going to get very much attention. That, however, takes nothing away from Melton. His fit with the Sixers, combined with what it took to get him, makes this move about as reasonable as humanly possible.

 

The Art Of The Deal

 

When it comes to the trade that it took to acquire Melton, I really don’t see a way anyone could complain about it. As I’ve said on countless occasions, once you get past the mid-lottery of the NBA Draft, it’s a crap shoot. When it comes to late first round picks, very rarely do players turn out to be legitimate stars. Most players end up being fine role players.

 

Assuming that’s the case for the 23rd overall pick, then the Sixers essentially traded the potential for a solid role player for an already established solid role player. That, in and of itself, is a victory.

 

Add that fact to including Danny Green in the deal, and we have ourselves a good old-fashion clear-cut win for the Sixers. To the very few people on social media complaining about Green being included in this deal, may I direct your attention to the torn ACL he suffered in May. Paying $10 million to a role player who’s absolute earliest return would have been right before the playoffs was never something a contending Sixers team was going to be okay with.

 

Personally, I was never the biggest Danny Green supporter throughout his time here in Philly for a variety of reasons (people seem to forget he called out the fans on a few occasions). All-in-all though, he did his job (for the most part) and was a solid veteran on a team desperate for a championship presence. The best compliment I can give Green is that his existence, or lack thereof, was felt most when he wasn’t on the court due to injury in the past two postseasons.

 

 

With that being said, acquiring a 24-year-old reserve guard who has only shown improvement with each year he’s been in the league fills a huge hole on this team. Couple his age and efficiency on both ends of the floor with his extremely team-friendly contract (owed $8 million this year and next), and that gives this deal the potential to be labeled a steal once the games actually start.

 

Melton’s Improvement

 

Perhaps the most notable thing about Melton is the improvement he’s shown throughout his brief career. Coming into the 2018 draft, Melton’s most noticeable weakness was his shooting ability. After shooting below 30% from beyond the arc for the first two years of his career, Melton suddenly blossomed into a well above-average three point shooter over the past two seasons. In other words, he took the Tyrese Maxey route rather than the Ben Simmons route.

 

After he exploded for a career-high 41.2% three point percentage in the 20-21 season, he upped the ante by averaging one more three a game in the 21-22 season, while still shooting a respetable 37.4% from beyond the arc. On top of that, he was able to increase his scoring (10.8 PPG) and rebounding (4.5 RPG) averages to the highest marks of his career. Those stats don’t tell the full story, though.

 

With the Sixers, he will likely be playing alongside one of Harden or Maxey at any particular time. In that case, Melton has to be willing and ready to capitalize on catch-and-shoot threes. Luckily for him, he shot an efficient 40.6% on catch-and-shoot threes while shooting over 42% on wide open shots. Not only that, he shot well-above average on corner threes at 48.5%. Playing alongside James Harden and Joel Embiid, two players who love to kick out to the three-point line, will be an ideal fit for Melton.

 

 

Melton’s also particularly sneaky when it comes to his off-the-dribble explosion to the paint. He’s had some, “Click-click, welcome to your Kodak moments,” in his day.

 

 

Underrated Defensively

 

On the defensive side of the court, Melton isn’t an All-NBA defender, but he’s certainly an improvement compared to the rest of the Sixers backcourt. Melton’s frame helps him out defensively, as he has a 6’8″ wingspan despite standing just 6’2″. He averaged 1.4 steals per game this past season, which puts him at 5th in the league among all qualified shooting guards and 15th overall, despite the fact that he primarily came off the bench for Memphis.

 

Aside from being a ballhawk, Melton seemingly does all the little things right. He excels at help defense, which is an area the Sixers struggled mightily in a season ago. He’s also elite at understanding defensive coverages and schemes while also being able to trust his instincts, as he’s great at navigating screens and reading passing lanes (which is part of the reason for his high steal numbers).

 

With the possibility of the Sixers moving on from Matisse Thybulle this offseason, the Sixers could find themselves relying heavily on Melton at the defensive end.

 

Final Verdict

 

All-in-all, Melton is going to prove to be a fantastic fit for a Sixers team that desperately needed a player like him on the roster. Being able to get him at the price of a late first-rounder and an injured vet owed $10 million makes this an undeniable win for the Sixers.

 

When it comes to Daryl Morey trades, though, should we really be all that surprised? This isn’t the first instance in which Morey has made a magnificent trade to give the Sixers a great fit at a position of need. All in the past 20 months, Morey has swung deals for Seth Curry, found a team willing to take Al Horford, and acquired a superstar (allegedly) in James Harden for one of the biggest headaches in NBA history.

 

Winning trades is what Morey does best. Now, let’s hope he’s got more tricks up his sleeve.

 

 

By Matt Szczypiorski | June 24, 2022
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