Sixers: 5 studs, 3 duds from first few weeks

One Sixers dud from first few weeks: Danny Green

It has been a mildly disappointing season for Danny Green, who has clearly lost a step. The 34-year-old is currently averaging 6.9 points per game, which would be the lowest mark of his career since 2010-11 in San Antonio, his second NBA season. Green has also seen a pretty sharp decline in minutes (24.1).

Father Time is undefeated, so Green’s athletic decline is no real surprise. He’s not the same defender he once was, and his offensive limitations have only become more glaring. He’s still shooting the lights out (39.6 percent from 3-point range on 5.3 attempts per game), but his complete lack of on-ball dynamism, combined with less fruitful off-ball movement, is troublesome.

The Sixers have basically been unable to use Green late in games. There are more explosive shooting threats on the roster in Furkan Korkmaz and Georges Niang, while Green’s defense has also declined. We all remember game one of the Hawks series, and how Green was basically useless when in the face of Trae Young. That’s an admittedly extreme example, but Green is more of a liability than a strength in certain matchups, even with his quick hands and elite awareness.

Green is still the starting small forward, and his elite spot-up shooting will continue to earn him minutes. The Sixers need veterans with high basketball I.Q. to make the offense click and to help the younger players along — a role Green still very much fills. Some of the criticism has gone overboard (Green hasn’t been terrible by any stretch), but it’s fair to say he has been a minor disappointment thus far.