Danny Green might not be the Philadelphia 76ers' best player from a basketball standpoint. After all, Philly's starting lineup has two All-Stars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Although Green might not be on the same level as the two All-Stars skill-wise, he's arguably one of the most important players on the team.
For the last few years, the Sixers lacked championship-winning veteran leadership going into the playoffs. This year, they got a three-time champion in Danny Green when they traded Al Horford to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the offseason.
Considering the Sixers' team chemistry has been at an all-time high since the organization started making the playoffs in 2018, Danny Green could take a lot of credit for that as he's been Philly's "glue guy" throughout the year.
Unfortunately for the Sixers, Green won't have the opportunity to take the court with his teammates for a little while. Green suffered a strained calf during Philly's Game 3 matchup against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.
After leaving the matchup and undergoing an MRI the following day, Green was told he could miss three to five weeks -- and he won't truly know how long until the 76ers' medical staff re-evaluates him in approximately two weeks.
On Saturday night, Green didn't waste any time starting his rehab. Although the Sixers remain in Atlanta as they gear up for Game 4 at the State Farm Arena on Monday, Green went back to Philly so he could start his recovery as soon as possible.
He might not be with the team for Game 4, but Sixers head coach Doc Rivers made it clear that Green will be around the team as soon as possible since the veteran's vocal leadership remains essential to the 76ers.
“We’re gonna bring him right back," said Sixers head coach Doc Rivers on Sunday afternoon. "We want him around. I’m telling you, he’s very important, and we got to have him around our guys. That’s very important for guys. Especially in situations where the game gets a little out of control, and emotions get out of control. Danny is a flat liner, and you need guys like that on your bench, on your team, because he has that calming effect on a lot of our guys.”
Typically, when players leave a game early due to injury, they remain in the locker room and away from the team. On Friday night, when Green went out of the game early, he was back on the Sixers' bench, talking to his teammates throughout the matchup, basically taking up the role of an assistant coach.
Green won't be around to do that on Monday night as the Sixers embark on a Game 4 matchup against Atlanta, but his absence won't become a trend moving forward whether he's cleared to play or not.
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