Philadelphia 76ers: Danny Green’s rollercoaster ride to a franchise record
Danny Green is like the Philadelphia 76ers’ box of chocolate.
When Danny Green finished out the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Monday night contest against the Atlanta Hawks with a 0-9 line from beyond the arc, it drew some serious ire from a fanbase clearly going through some stuff.
Playing their second game with effectively half of a roster after Adam Silver opted against postponing any games after Seth Curry tested positive midway through the Brooklyn bout – which has become an increasing point of contention when you consider six other contests and counting have been canceled for the very same reason – the undermanned Sixers were whooped pretty mercilessly by ex-assistant Lloyd Pierce and company – with Doc Rivers effectively throwing in the towel midway through the second half to save Green, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey for their back-to-back contest versus Miami back in Philly.
It was truly adding insult to injury, and unfortunately, it’s something fans of each of Green’s former teams know all too well.
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You see, to call Green a historically streaky shooter is kind of an understatement. Since making his NBA debut in 2009 as a second-round pick out of St. Mary’s High School, Green has been hot and then cold. He’s been yes, and then no. He’s been in and then out; up and then down.
I think you get the picture.
For every 27 point contest where he knocks down well above 50 percent of his long balls – like he did in Game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals – Green will have performances like Game 5 of the 2020 NBA Finals where he missed the ‘chip clinching shot and becomes public enemy numero uno for an entire fanbase.
Tough? Maybe so, but let’s just say there weren’t a whole lot of Lakers fans who were sad to see Green go when he was flipped to OKC for Sam Hinkie‘s favorite point guard, Dennis Schroder.
So naturally, when Green followed up his 0-9 performances with a franchise record-tying, nine made 3s on 21 attempts in the Sixers’ overtime win over the Miami Heat, fans shouldn’t have even batted an eye.
No, in a game marred by foul outs and turnovers before Embiid going off for 45 while almost singlehandedly delivering onto the City of Brotherly Love their eighth win of the season, Green’s ability to drain shots (mostly) early and often kept the team competitive. He also recorded a crucial two-pointer on an offensive rebound that kept the team alive and allowed the PA to fill the Wells Fargo Center with “Here Come the Sixers” once more.
Weirdly, this game perfectly encapsulated Green as a player. He hit some incredible shots that looked effortless, all the while playing rugged D on opposing scorers one minute, and then he’d miss a makeable go-ahead shot when his team needed it most.
In the fourth quarter-plus-overtime alone, Green missed three game-flipping shots that could have given the team a little extra leeway and avoided having to go to extra minutes altogether.
See what I mean? If Green is your fifth option, his abilities to take over a game now and then are incredibly fun to watch. But when he gets elevated to a fourth, third, or even second option like he has been over the last week, the cracks in his game become more apparent.
dark. Next. Tyrese Maxey completes Daryl Morey’s Big 3
When the Philadelphia 76ers traded for Danny Green, it wasn’t for him to throw up 25 shots or to score 29 points. No, Daryl Morey explicitly targeted Green as cap filled in the Al Horford trade because he wanted to add a veteran presence to his locker room, a steadying presence to his starting five, and to squeeze a little more 3-and-D action out of the 33-year-old New York native. While games like this are undoubtedly fun, it’s rather telling that the Sixers didn’t really pull away until Joel Embiid put the squad on his back to bully his way to a 137-134 win. Why? Because Embiid is a certified superstar and Green is a complementary piece – as it should be.