6 76ers who could get axed from Nick Nurse’s playoff rotation

1. De’Anthony Melton

Melton was a starter next to Tyrese Maxey in the backcourt to begin the season. He averaged 11.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.6 steals in 29.1 minutes per game over 33 starts. The 25-year-old shot just 39.3 percent from the field, but his strong defense helped the Sixers go 22-11 in those contests.

Melton has played in just three games since Jan. 12. The back injury started in early January and cost him 21 of 24 contests. He returned for three more games in late February before missing the last ten. The injury is problematic and may plague Melton for the remainder of the season. He is out with no timetable for his return.

The 76ers cannot count on him for the playoffs. Melton will have played six games in three-plus months before he is back on the court. He has not been on the floor for more than 30 minutes in a game since Dec. 29th. Head coach Nick Nurse will have to ease him back in if he can get on the floor at all.

The Philadelphia 76ers have depth and top-end talent if they are healthy. That is no guarantee given how their season has gone. They hope multiple players return from injury and are ready for the playoffs. If so, the Sixers are a tough opponent, and coach Nurse will be ready. Stay tuned to see how it all shakes out.