Maryland Basketball: Melo Trimble has barely seen the floor
By Chris Bengel
Melo Trimble wasn’t expected to be selected in last month’s NBA Draft.
Through three games with the Philadelphia 76ers in Summer League action, Trimble has only appeared in a total of 10:07.
Trimble only played in Philadelphia’s game against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday evening. During that time, the former Maryland star scored 3 points (1-of-2 shooting), grabbed three rebounds, and dished out two assists.
Only Charles Jackson played less minutes off the bench for the 76ers. Former DeMatha standout Markelle Fultz, who was the first pick in the draft, has gotten the bulk of the guard minutes and understandably so.
Trimble’s only field goal came on a drive to the basket. That shouldn’t surprise many Maryland fans as he often drove into the paint and drew the foul.
That play was the sum total of Trimble’s offensive production during the Summer League thus far. Philadelphia begins the Las Vegas leg of Summer League play on Saturday evening with a game against the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
After the 76ers’ first Summer League game, Trimble’s schedule playing time was on the horizon.
“My time is going to come in another game and I just got to stay ready,” Trimble told CSN Philly. “Last year, I would have probably been sad about it and want to leave,” Trimble said. “This year, I’m sticking with it. Being in my position, I’m undrafted. If I get on a team, I might not play a lot of minutes. I might not play at all. But whenever my number is called, I got to be ready.”
Trimble had plenty of competition in Fultz, former Indiana star James Blackmon Jr., former Kentucky guard Isaiah Briscoe., and Larry Drew II. Playing time was certainly going to be hard to come by, but Trimble had a decent showing in the limited time he got.
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It appears to be an uphill road for Trimble to be on the 76ers’ bench coming Opening Night. However, a good showing in Las Vegas could led to a professional contract overseas or a D-League stint with Philadelphia or potentially another organization.