Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Green happy Rivers wants him to return
As if the path to the NBA championship didn’t appear uncluttered enough, it seems the Sixers were close to receiving an additional boost in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Danny Green, out since straining his right calf in Game 1 of the seven-game Atlanta series, revealed Monday that he would have been ready for the Final Four against the Milwaukee Bucks, and maybe as soon as Game 1 Wednesday night.
“Honestly, body-wise, physically I am fine,” the veteran shooter said Monday. “I am walking smooth. I am out of the boot. I can actually jog a little bit if I was doing some shooting. If we would have won, I would have expected to play in the next series; maybe not Game 1, but maybe Game 1. I’m feeling pretty good right now, physically. Emotionally and mentally, I am still kind of shocked.”
Green, 34, made $15 million this season after being acquired from Oklahoma City in the trade involving Al Horford. He averaged 9.5 points, shooting 40.5 percent from distance and injecting the valuable experience of a three-time NBA champion into the locker room.
Though his contract has expired, he is keeping his options open and is likely to return to the Sixers next season.
“It’s way too early,” he said. “I haven’t had any thoughts about it. We just had our exit meeting. Business is business. But every team I have gone to has been like a family. These people have been great. They have looked out for me.
“When I talked to Doc, he told me I had a good year and he said, ‘You’re not going anywhere. You’ll be back.’ That’s a good sign that they want me back. It’s always great to feel wanted. I have until August when free-agency starts. It’s not
something I thought deeply about because I thought we would still be playing.”
••• Joel Embiid played the entire Atlanta series on a torn right-knee meniscus. Rivers is unsure if offseason surgery will be required.
“I want to say I don’t think so,” Rivers said, “but I have no idea. So I can’t answer that.”
Embiid averaged more than 37 minutes in the series, and played 40:59 in Game 7. Coincidentally or not, his production typically dipped late in games.
“It’s a torn meniscus,” Embiid said Sunday. “It is what it is. I guess there is good and bad in the loss so I can take
care of my body. I thought long and hard about playing on it. I decided to do it, and it was my choice. And I have to live with the results. But at the end of the day, when it comes to my future, I’ll be fine.”
••• Tyrese Maxey made substantial contributions as a rookie, averaging eight points and nosing past Shake Milton in the postseason playing rotation.
“I learned so much this year,” he said. “Every single day was something new, whether it was Ben (Simmons) teaching me something, or someone on the coaching staff. I very much appreciated it.”