Doc Rivers ‘shocked’ at how well Danny Green performed in first practice
The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a truncated training camp due to the global pandemic causing a delay to the start of the NBA season and it became even worse for guys like Danny Green.
Green was acquired by Philadelphia on draft night back on Nov. 18 and the deal could not become official until Dec. 8 due to his contract not being able to be aggregated after a previous trade. The last time Green has been in the gym with an NBA team was Oct. 11 with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the bubble.
So when he was able to get on the floor on Wednesday with his new team, he had to show out.
“On Danny Green, I was shocked because I’m guessing he probably hasn’t touched the ball since the championship game,” said coach Doc Rivers. “He was unbelievable. Today he shot the heck out of the ball. He made reads, he did find out that Ben’s a super athlete on one of the layups, I will say that, but he was terrific.”
To hear Rivers say that about Green is a good thing considering he has not played any basketball since Game 6 of the NBA Finals. In order to come in and contribute right away, Green did add that he has been recently working out before camp off-site so he can be ready.
“Last couple weeks is probably the first time I picked up a basketball, a couple weeks ago, and started working out so I’ve been working out,” he explained. “Even though we have the protocols and the league wants us to be safe, I have no choice but to work out off-site. I’ve trying to find off-site places to work out, get a gym get some shots up stay in shape, somewhat of shape. So I don’t come in so much behind the eight ball or behind the curve.”
Green is looking to come in and provide some floor spacing next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and as he stepped onto the court with his new team for the first time, he was happy with what he experienced.
“My first impression was I like the energy,” said Green. “Guys excited to be here, guys excited to learn from each other, play with each other, play against, compete against each other, and we get a chance to get up and down some.”
The Sixers play their first preseason game on Dec. 15 against the Boston Celtics and then the regular-season opener is Dec. 23 so there is not much time to figure everything out. This is a new team, new players, a new coaching staff, a new front office, and Green will have to come in and play a big role for them.
“I think we’re all learning next to each other but the coaching staff, new system, new staff, new everything front office,” he finished. “A lot of new faces for everybody and even guys that were here before. So we’re all trying to feel out, not just each other, we’re feeling out the coaching staff and picking and choosing our places and spots, where to be on the floor, what terminology use, and we’re all comfortable with as a group day by day before we can start comfortably challenging each other, to a certain extent.”
