Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking every player on the 2020-21 roster

Ranking every Sixers player #5 — Danny Green

The newest acquisition from the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers is Danny Green who comes in ranking 5th in his first year as a Philadelphia 76er. Green is a three-time NBA champion, winning in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs, 2019 with the Toronto Raptors and this past year with the Lakers. He is well-known for his 3-point shooting ability and slightly lesser-known for his defense.

Green was one of the premier 3-and-D players, those who specialize in 3-point shooting and playing defense as their main skills, but age has taken a toll here. He garnered much praise for his defense on LeBron James in the 2014 NBA Finals, but at age 33, Green is slower and less intimidating than he once was. Additionally, last season he had one of his worst shooting seasons averaging 36.7 percent from deep, which is a far cry from his 2018 season with the Raptors where his 3-point percentage was a staggering 46.5 percent.

The question here obviously is, can Green get back to his 2018 shooting form and not be a defensive liability? The hope is that with the defensive presence and strength the Sixers already have in their lineup that Green will not be asked to do as much and can be seamlessly plugged into the system. His 3-point shooting should benefit from the attention Embiid will draw on offense, giving Green more space and time to shoot.

Lastly, and most importantly, Green’s veteran presence will be a huge asset in the locker room and his playoff and NBA Finals experience will be incredibly valuable to a group of young players who have not yet played on that big of a stage in their nascent careers.

— JONATHAN GEIB