The Philadelphia 76ers acquired George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 25 in order to add to their roster before the playoffs begin on May 22. Hill has yet to play due to a thumb injury, but he promises he will make his Sixers debut before the playoffs so he can get into a rhythm.
In terms of what his role will be, Hill does not care what role he plays. He knows he can be effective as a starter or off the bench and he has proven that in his carer. He was a starter for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2018 NBA Finals and he came off the bench for the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019.
He can fill both roles well and provide good production for Philadelphia and coach Doc Rivers knows it too.
“They just want me to be myself,” said Hill. “I’ve never been the type to care about if I’m starting or care about if I’m coming off the bench or how many shots I’m getting or things like that. The only thing that matters to me is winning basketball games, playing the right way and having fun, and competing.”
Hill started all 14 games he played for Oklahoma City and he averaged 11.8 points and he shot 38.6% from deep. He also started only two games out of a possible 106 with the Bucks so he understands that he has to produce no matter what role he’s given. That’s the beauty of being a veteran in this league.
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“That’s up to the coaches and the staff if they want me starting or if they come off the bench,” he said. “Any role they give me, I’m going to embrace it with open arms, no matter if it’s 30 minutes or 15 minutes. I’m gonna go out there and play hard and compete and try to help us win games.”
As mentioned, Hill is a guy who can bring a lot of needed playoff experience to this team right now. He is a career 37% shooter from deep in the playoffs and he shot 41.7% from deep with the Bucks in the 2019 postseason so all of that will help him and the team on this run.
“Just a different dynamic,” Hill finished. “Leadership, playoff-tested, I’ve been on some really good teams. Just another guy who can come in here and do my job, know what my role is, and do the best I can at it.”
As the Sixers await for his debut, they will take on the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday to continue the road trip.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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