The Philadelphia 76ers brought in George Hill in order to provide a two-way option off the bench behind Ben Simmons. He was finally able to play the role the team expects of him on Monday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Hill’s stat line will read only two points with three assists and a rebound, but his impact was felt on the floor. He helped shore up the defensive effort against the young and aggressive Thunder guards and stopped them from getting into the paint too often.
“I thought he was a difference-maker when he came in just defensively,” said coach Doc Rivers. “You can still see his rhythm offensively is not great yet, but defensively, he is so good and talks. Just listening to him on the floor tonight directing Shake and directing those guys where to be. He’s good. He’s gonna be good for us. You can feel it, you can see it.”
Hill was playing out of his role initially as he had to start a couple of games with the team missing Ben Simmons. Now that the Sixers All-Star is back out there and he gets back into his role on the offensive end of the floor, Hill can now play his role off the bench and provide a spark on both ends.
“His pace out there and just his veteran savviness,” Tobias Harris started. “I think he’s one of those guys who is real calm on the floor, able to make shots, able to be a disrupter on the defensive end as well. So just a really solid piece for us and a guy that has the experience for our team.”
Hill is a proven veteran and his presence out on the floor is going to be huge for the Sixers down the stretch as they look to gain some momentum heading into the playoffs. Monday was a good example of why they made the move to acquire him.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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