George Hill Will Make Sixers Debut vs. Warriors on Monday
George Hill #GeorgeHill
Philadelphia 76ers veteran guard George Hill will make his debut on Monday night at the Wells Fargo Center as the Sixers take on the Golden State Warriors.
The Sixers traded for the veteran guard back in late March. As the 2021 NBA trade deadline started winding down, Philly sought out a veteran ball-handler to bring in to help bolster the rotation before the eventual playoff run.
Although the Sixers were linked heavily to possible trades for Toronto Raptors veteran Kyle Lowry, Toronto’s asking price was far too high for Daryl Morey and Philly’s front office to meet.
At that point, the Sixers focused their attention on Oklahoma City Thunder veteran guard George Hill. After getting traded from the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason, Hill was one of a very few experienced veterans on OKC’s roster.
Considering the Thunder are focused on their future more than the present, the chances of Hill getting moved before the deadline were high since the season started. However, any team that traded for him had to deal with the fact that the veteran was recovering from a mallet thumb injury.
Knowing they could win without Hill right now, the Sixers made the gamble and traded for the injured veteran. While they didn’t believe Hill would be out for too long, the Sixers knew that the veteran guard wouldn’t contribute right away right off the bat.
Since joining the Sixers, Hill has sat on the bench for 12 games. While he was cleared for limited practice action, the 76ers made it apparent that they would ease the veteran back into the swing of things as they didn’t want to risk any further setbacks since they need Hill healthy and ready to come off the bench in the playoffs.
While Doc Rivers anticipates George Hill will be rusty and limited in his debut on Monday after having so much time off, the team is excited to see their new weapon in action against Golden State.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.