The Sixers got the Danny Green they were looking for in win over Charlotte.
When the Sixers flipped Al Horford and a first-round pick for Danny Green (and Terrance Ferguson), fan morale was through the roof. The Horford experience was a complete and utter nightmare, and Green was coming off back-to-back championship-winning seasons. Throw in the fact that Green is a career 39.9% shooter from beyond the arc (adding shooting was the team’s number one priority this offseason), it felt like a match made in heaven.
However, Green started off his Philadelphia tenure a tad sluggish. He only scored 22 total points through his first five games with the Sixers, and his 3P% was down at 21.1%. A handful of fans were starting to hit the panic button, but any legitimate concerns were quieted during the team’s win over Charlotte on Saturday.
Green came out scorching from beyond the arc, finishing the game with three three-pointers on six attempts. He ended the affair with 13 points and 4 assists while playing some solid defense on the wing as well. It felt like Green was consciously making the effort to make quick decisions on the perimeter, a mindset that allowed Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to rely on him as a floor-spacer for the majority of the evening.
The teams next clashed on Monday night and Green bagged another 13 points, going 3-8 from beyond the arc.
When it comes to Danny Green, we all should know what he is at this point in his career. He’s a 12-year veteran, and he’s essentially had success no matter where he goes. He was a crucial piece to the San Antonio Spurs championship-winning squad in 2014, was fantastic for the Toronto Raptors when they won a ring in 2019, and of course, was a starter for the Los Angeles Lakers last year (where they too won a championship).
Is Green a flame-thrower on the perimeter? A guy who can give you 20-30 points on any given night with his elite shooting? No, he’s not. That role is better suited for Seth Curry.
However, Green is one of the more “savvy” veterans in the NBA. There’s a reason he’s been apart of three world champions, and there’s a reason Daryl Morey identified him as a player who would fit alongside Simmons and Embiid. Green plays some fantastic wing defense and is an above-average three-point shooter. While he stumbled out of the gate this season, it was always inevitable that his shooting numbers would start averaging back out to that 35+% mark.
Strong back-to-back games against Hornets may just be the start, Green should continue to prove to be a good addition as the regular season goes on.
Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire
