PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers swung a huge deal at the trade deadline, grabbing James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. But he will not be available until after the All-Star break due to a hamstring injury.
The Sixers also obtained four-time All-Star Paul Millsap in that deal. The 16-year veteran had not played since Jan. 13 before he made his Sixers debut on Tuesday in the team’s blowout loss to the Boston Celtics. He is ready to help contribute, but he also has to learn how coach Doc Rivers runs things.
“Just whatever I see,” said Millsap. “Tonight (Tuesday) for me was just really learning. Trying to get a feel for the guys, get a feel for the game plan, and everything that goes with it. It’s still a whirlwind right now, trying to figure all that out, but, it’s gonna come and wherever I see fit, to where I can get in and help this team, that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Millsap came up with nine points on Tuesday in nine minutes in the fourth quarter. He knocked down two 3s and grabbed two offensive rebounds though it was difficult to judge his performance considering it was a blowout and Boston had its third-stringers in the game.
For Millsap, it was just about getting out there and getting a feel for the Sixers and playing NBA basketball again. He had been playing pickup games in Atlanta before the trade, but that is obviously not the same as the NBA.
“One thing that I wasn’t expecting was definitely on the defensive end,” Millsap shook his head. “I had a few guys blow by me, missed a couple assignments, so I was a little slow on that, but that’s gonna come.”
As the Sixers move forward, they will need to integrate Millsap slowly. He is an older player, so he may not be able to play a large number of minutes, but he brings a wealth of experience and he can help this team off the bench. It will be interesting to see how Philadelphia utilizes him.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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