The Philadelphia 76ers made a play Thursday that they believe will help place them in a deep tie that they believe they are ready for. They acquired veteran George Hill of the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team deal that provides them with a solid foothold.
Hill has played 127 playoff games in his career and has been in the NBA Finals as well as a couple of runs in the Eastern Conference Finals in his career. In addition, he is a 38.4% career shooter and is a solid defender.
He’s the kind of two-way player President Daryl Morey and coach Doc Rivers are looking for.
“I think Doc had some good comments recently about finding a two-way guard and that being one of those I thought was one of the few needs for us,” Morey said. “It simply came to our notice then. A veteran two-way guard who can shoot at a very high level and defend himself at a high level. ”
When Hill plays the right role, he can be a very solid player for any team. He shot 46% from the 2019-20 season with the Milwaukee Bucks and is a solid veteran who can help a fairly young team. This is something that people forget as Philadelphia relies on younger players on the bench.
“He’s such a solid veteran,” Rivers said. “Just one of those guys who likes your team. He shoots the ball, defends well, is a good veteran, and we really are a young team. Adding a veteran like him will be fantastic for us.
On top of that, Morey has put a lot of emphasis on acquiring every possible feature to make sure the floor is spaced at all times for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to work. That’s what Hill brings to the table and his defensive ability is what made him attractive to the Sixers.
“Viously, obviously, shooting is a prize for us, and I think he (Hill) may have led the NBA in filming recently,” Morey added. “I think this has been a great issue to get the shooting in a two-way player like Danny. I see it as an acquisition as we did with Danny Green. A boy who has lived through many playoff wars.
A red flag for some could be the fact that Hill hasn’t played a game since Jan. 24 due to thumb surgery. However, Morey isn’t too worried about that.
Our medical staff has not yet had a chance to evaluate it, but we understand that their time back is measured and I don’t want to give a chronology, but it’s not long.
“He had a problem in which he chose to have surgery, so it will never be a problem again,” he explained. “I think this pushed his recovery, but once he comes back, it will apparently be something that will never bother him again. So we are very optimistic that he will go ahead medically. “
A big important point in all of this is that the Sixers can now throw a unit of guys who can deliver a good game at both ends of the ground. Philadelphia will be a little deeper now entering the playoffs in May with a proven veteran team.
“I think one thing coach Rivers and coach (Dan) Burke can do right now is put five strong guys to the playoff test who can play both ends on the ground at the same time if they want to do it on time,” Morey finished. “We’re pretty excited about that.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
