Breaking Down The Sixers' Newest Addition
Following the conclusion of the Las Vegas Summer League, the Sixers began tweaking their roster before training camp kicks off. Rayjon Tucker was released earlier this week, opening up one of the team's two-way slots.
Many initially thought that second-round pick Charles Bassey would be the replacement, but Daryl Morey went a different direction.
Shortly after waiving Tucker, the Sixers agreed to terms on a two-way contract with Grant Riller. Selected in the second round of the 2020 draft, Riller spent last season on a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Riller is a six-foot-two, 190-pound combo-guard who entered the NBA after a four-year college career. In his senior season at the College of Charleston, he averaged 21.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG.
The 24-year-old did not see much time at the NBA level last season, appearing in just seven games. Riller scored 18 points in 27 total minutes across that span. Playing in the G-League bubble allowed him to showcase his skill set in an extended role.
Riller averaged 13.1 PPG, 3.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG through 11 games with the Greensboro Swarm. He also shot an impressive 46.2% from beyond the arc on just under five attempts per game.
Leading up to the 2020 draft, Riller had drawn a ton of comparison to Toronto Raptor's guard Fred VanVleet. Not only do they have similar frames, but playstyles as well.
Like VanVleet, Riller is a combo-guard who can play alongside just about any type of guard in the league. He can seamlessly move on and off the ball, along with initiating the offense when needed.
While Riller can run an offense, he is at his best when looking to score. He has no problem putting the ball on the floor and creating and can score on all three levels. Not to mention Riller can come off screens and be used effectively as a spot-up shooter.
The Sixers and Riller had talked before the 2020 draft and for good reason. He checks almost all the boxes the team is looking for in a guard.
Having a lack of players who can create their own offense on the perimeter has hurt the Sixers in the past. Acquiring Riller adds another promising guard with outside scoring capabilities to go along with Tyrese Maxey and Shake Milton.
Age is another factor that makes this is a good pick-up for the Sixers. At 24-years-old, Riller is close to the same timeline as the team's stars. The added time in college also allowed him to round out his game and make him a more finished product as he entered the NBA.
Signing Riller to a two-way is a good addition in the margins for the Sixers. It would not be surprising if Daryl Morey locks him up to a standard NBA contract at some point down the line.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.
