Last week, the Philadelphia 76ers signed a familiar face, veteran guard Danny Green, to a one-year non-guaranteed deal. Green played for the Sixers for the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before being traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for De’Anthony Melton in return. Known for his good vibes and incredible shooting abilities, Green returns to a Sixers team that’s changed since he last played with them – most notably, the Sixers hired former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, with whom Green won a championship in 2019.
In 2019, under Nurse, Green averaged 10.3 points per game – the third-highest average of his 15-year career – and 4.0 rebounds. Green shot 45.5% from range during the 2018-19 season and won a championship to prove it. Nicknamed The Green Ranger for his performance in the 2019 playoffs, Green shot 40.5% and 38% during his two seasons with the Sixers between 2020 and 2022.
For the Grizzlies this past season, Green shot 43.2% from three, showing that despite being 36 years old and creeping up on retirement, he isn’t slowing down. On a forward-heavy team with an expected lack of Harden this season, Green may need to step up into a larger role to make it rain threes in the Wells Fargo Center and beyond.
As a veteran and three-time champion, Green knows what it takes to win. Green won his first championship with the Spurs in 2014, his second with the Raptors, and his third with the Lakers during the Bubble season in 2020. Of his three championships, Green won two over the age of 30, proving his value as a veteran force to be reckoned with. Outside of the Spurs, with whom he spent eight seasons, the Sixers’ tenure between 2020 and 2022 is his longest stay on a single team.
Hopefully, Green will settle in quickly amongst his remaining former teammates and use his shooting skills and veteran leadership to bring his fourth championship home to Philadelphia.
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