Philadelphia 76ers two-way guard Grant Riller suffered a harsh blow on Monday night. After checking into the Sixers' preseason opener against the Toronto Raptors for 14 minutes off the bench, Riller went down with a knee injury.
He finished his Sixers debut by shooting 3-5 from the field and knocking down one of his two free-throw attempts, totaling for seven points. Riller was a plus-10 on the court in Philly's 123-107 loss to the Raptors.
Unfortunately, his appearance in the Sixers' preseason opener will be his last of the offseason as he received bad news regarding his injury. After getting his knee evaluated, Riller was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. As he elected to undergo surgery, Riller's preseason has come to an end.
According to a team official, Riller will be re-evaluated in two weeks. That's a challenging situation to be in for the second-year guard who was expected to split time between the Sixers and their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
For a player like Riller, playing time is extremely valuable. As he doesn't have a permanent spot on the Sixers roster, he could've used the remaining three preseason games to sharpen his development and showcase his skills.
Although his injury is undoubtedly a tough blow, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers makes it clear that he remains impressed with everything that Riller put on display -- and he's still intrigued by the young guard.
"It's just part of life and basketball," Rivers said following Wednesday's practice in regards to Riller's setback. "He's upbeat about it, but he's still a young guy trying to make the team. He played well yesterday, or whenever we played, and now he's out, so it's just one of the tough blows you have, but we like him a lot, I could tell you that."
When Riller is able to return to the court is currently unknown. In two weeks, the Sixers will have a better idea of his timetable for return as the medical staff will get another look following his surgical procedure.
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