Houston Rockets: De’Anthony Melton turns heads at Summer League
Despite being out the game of basketball for one full season, Houston Rockets rookie guard De’Anthony Melton managed to turn heads over the last week at the 2018 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
Just one year ago, De’Anthony Melton was seeking to get ready for his sophomore season at USC, prior to receiving news that would completely alter the course of his college basketball career.
The 20-year-old guard, who averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game through 36 games in his freshman campaign, was suspended indefinitely by the university after being linked to the NCAA bribery scandal.
He withdrew from the program to officially turn pro shortly after, as the player who was initially viewed as a key piece in helping the Trojans recapture prominence in the Pac-12 was forced to sit out of basketball for an entire year.
"“I just tried to keep myself sane,” Melton said per USA Today‘s Michael Singer at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. “I shot a lot. I got in the gym. At first I was teasing myself being in the gym but I realized that I needed to do this.”“Everybody has to go through something.”"
Now, Melton appears to have finally made it past the storm, as the 46th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft managed to turn heads and impress with the Houston Rockets at Summer League.
Through a five-game span, Melton showcased his ability to pass, shoot, score and defend at a high level, averaging 16.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.0 steals per game for the Rockets.
All the while, he helped guide Houston to a 4-1 record out in Las Vegas, as the rookie who struggled to find a rhythm in his debut managed to get the best of his counterparts over the last week and a half.
In a showdown against lottery pick Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Melton put together arguably the top performance of any player to participate in the Sin City showcase, pouring in a game-high 26 points with 10 rebounds and five assists to lead the Rockets to a 104-90 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on July 9.
He also capped off his summer slate with a near triple-double against Collin Sexton, as Melton put together a 16-point, 10-rebound and seven-assist stat line in a 102-97 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Summer League playoffs on Saturday night.
Melton caught the eye of Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni in the process, who recently sought to share his thoughts about the rookie with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle:
"“I didn’t think he could shoot; he can really shoot.” D’Antoni said. “He’s got good composure, plays good defense, has a good skill set, good instincts for the ball. There’s a lot of good positives.”"
Although it is highly unlikely that Melton will immediately crack the heart of Clutch City’s rotation this coming season, Rockets fans must be intrigued by the small sample size they have seen thus far, as the man who was not considered as a knockdown shooter in college displayed a much more refined stroke from downtown.
General manager Daryl Morey was willing to take a flyer on him in the second round, and Melton showed signs of becoming the type of player scouts desperately search to acquire in today’s game.
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His ability to shoot and make plays in the pick-and-roll, combined with his ability to defend on or off the ball, makes him a versatile two-way player. Should D’Antoni and the Rockets seek to reduce the workload of Chris Paul, then Melton could likely compete against newcomer Michael Carter-Williams for the third and final point guard spot during training camp.