The Philadelphia 76ers made some notable offseason changes, including the recent addition of three-time NBA champion Danny Green into the fold. Green may be past his prime at this point, but the 6-foot-6 shooting guard appears to have a key role for the Sixers this coming season.
According to Green, he has taken it upon himself to mentor new teammate Ben Simmons and will challenge him to actually shoot jumpers.
Via Gerald Bourguet of FanSided:
“I’m challenging not just Joel (Embiid) but Ben to not worry about percentages, especially early in the clock, early in the game,” Green said on his own podcast, Inside The Green Room. “You can’t be afraid to take those jumpers and keep a defense honest. Mind you, you shoot it pretty well. We see it in practice, we see you shooting online, we see highlights and clips — you’re not a bad shooter, it’s all confidence and mental.
“So I’m gonna try to take it upon myself to challenge him to put himself in some uncomfortable situations or positions to make himself more comfortable doing those things, and that may be taking at least one corner 3 a game just to keep the defense honest.”
Simmons can surely learn a thing or two from the 33-year-old vet in terms of improving his jumper. Green has been one of the best 3-and-D players in the NBA over the course of his career, and he has made plenty of big shots en route to winning titles.
Last season in a championship-winning campaign with the Lakers, Green averaged 8.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 24.8 minutes per contest. He also drained 1.8 triples per game on a 36.7 percent clip, and the Sixers are hoping that he rubs off some of his shooting acumen on Simmons.
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