3 Players who must step up for the 76ers to beat the Heat
3 Players who must step up for the 76ers to beat the Heat
2. De’Anthony Melton
Despite having just returned from a lengthy absence due to injury, De’Anthony Melton will be slated for another re-baptism by fire tomorrow as he will likely be asked to defend and cover Miami’s three, dangerous guards in Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, and the much improved Duncan Robinson.
Philadelphia ranks sixth in the league in opponent three-point shooting percentage, and they will need to summond just that and crank it up even higher to secure a win against the oftentimes offensively-challenged Heat. Should Melton manage to slow down Miami’s backcourt cogs, the 76ers should have a good chance of outscoring the Heat en route to a victory.
Offensively, Melton has to be in tip-top shape, especially from beyond the arc. He’s been pretty rusty — understandably so — but the 76ers need all of their guns to be dangerous to an extent as Spoelstra will quickly try to trample over an offensive liability. If so, that could force Nick Nurse to take out a valuable defender. That can’t happen.