The Philadelphia 76ers made a move on Thursday that they believe will help position themselves to enter a deep playoff sequence for which they believe they are prepared. They acquired Oklahoma City Thunder veteran George Hill in a 3-team deal that gave them a solid reserve guard.
Hill has played 127 playoff games in his career and has been to the NBA finals, as well as a few races to the Eastern Conference finals in his career. In addition, he is a professional sniper with 38.4% depth and a solid defender.
He is the type of two-handed player that President Daryl Morey and coach Doc Rivers are looking for.
“I think Doc has made some good comments recently about looking for a two-way guard and that being one of, what he thought, was one of the few needs for us,” said Morey. “This is what we have with George. A veteran two-way guard who can shoot at a very high level and defend at a high level. “
When Hill is put in the right role, he can be a really solid player for any team. He hit 46% of the total in the 2019-20 season with the Milwaukee Bucks and is a solid veteran who can help a very young team. This is something that people forget, as Philadelphia has younger players off the bench.
“He’s a solid veteran,” said Rivers. “Just one of those guys who just like their team. He throws the ball to the club, defends well, good veteran, and we are really a young team. Adding a veteran like him will be great for us. “
In addition, Morey placed great emphasis on acquiring all possible shooting material to ensure that the ground is properly spaced at all times for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to operate. This is what Hill brings to the table and his defensive ability is what made him attractive to the Sixers.
“Obviously, the shot is a prize for us, and I think he (Hill) maybe led the NBA in the shot recently,” added Morey. “I think it’s been a big topic for us to be able to shoot a two-way player like Danny. I kind of see it as an acquisition, as we did with Danny Green. A guy who has gone through many wars in the playoffs. “
A red flag for some may be that Hill has not played since Jan. 24 due to thumb surgery. However, Morey is not too concerned about this.
Our medical team has not yet had a chance to evaluate you, but our understanding is that your turnaround time is measured and I do not want to give you a schedule, but it is not long.
“He had a problem where he chose to have surgery, so it will never be a problem again,” he explained. “I think it pushed his recovery, but once he gets back, it will apparently be something that will never bother him again. Therefore, we are very optimistic about him going ahead from the medical point of view. “
A major major hurdle in all of this is that the Sixers can now launch a unit of heads that can provide a good move at both ends of the floor. Philadelphia will go a little deeper now in the playoffs in May with a proven and veteran team.
“I think one thing that coach Rivers and coach (Dan) Burke can do now is put five strong and tested players in the playoffs, who can play both sides at the same time, if they want to do it at the right time,” concluded Morey . “We are very excited about this.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on the Facebook!
