De’Anthony Melton was a slam dunk first round pick if it wasn't for the FBI investigation into improper benefits that caused him to be suspended from the USC Trojans for the entire season last year. He entered the draft after sitting out the year and the Houston Rockets got him with the 46th pick in last years draft. Mike D'Antoni has been impressed with him so far.
Melton struggled in the summer league opener but has really taken off since then. He has made 10 of the 23 three-pointers he has attempted and shown that he is a shooter, something Mike D'Antoni didn't think he was.
“I didn’t think he can shoot; he can really shoot,” D’Antoni said via the Houston Chronicle. “Now we all know, there’s summer league, there’s the preseason and there’s the regular season. You have to make three jumps. He made one jump, so we’ll see.
“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.”
Rockets assistant coach Roy Rogers has also been impressed with how he has taken a step forward. Rogers noticed he was shy early on trying to figure out his role, but he has owned his role now.
“The first few days, he was a little shy, trying to figure out his role, how he fits in,” Rockets assistant coach Roy Rogers said. “Every day, you can just see him gaining more and more confidence. As a coaching staff, we’re looking at each other like ‘wow’ at some of the plays he made. Defensively, if he keeps improving at the rate he is, he has a chance to be a really good player.”
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