5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles

5 reasons for the Sixers’ recent struggles: The restricted Danny Green

In his four games since returning from injury, Danny Green has been productive. He’s averaging 8.0 points on 42.1 percent shooting from deep, and he’s swiping 2.3 steals per game. The most important number, however, is minutes per game — of which he has played only 20.3, despite his strong efforts.

The Sixers are making a clear effort to ease Green back into action. The 34-year-old is beginning to lose more than a step, and the Sixers have a long 82-game season to think about. A lot of fans have jumped off the Danny Green bandwagon, but the numbers above bear out a simple truth. He’s still very useful.

With Green’s minutes limited, the Sixers have instead turned to Matisse Thybulle to play in crucial late (and early)-game stretches. This isn’t the first time Thybulle has closed games, but his offense has been especially brutal of late. The Boston game on Wednesday was a prime example. The Celtics just didn’t guard Thybulle down the stretch, instead choosing to smother Embiid in the post.

There’s something to be said for Thybulle’s defense, especially with Ben Simmons currently M.I.A., but it’s hard to close games with someone who provides essentially zero value on offense. Simmons was a crunch-time liability, but he could at least spark transition offense, make smart decisions, and provide some value hanging around the rim. Thybulle does pretty much nothing.

The sooner Philadelphia can rely on 25-28 minutes a night from Green, instead of 20 minutes a night, the better. That seems like an insignificant distinction, but we have reached the point where Green’s more noticeable athletic shortcomings overshadow how useful he still is.