Sixers' George Hill Not Concerned with Coming off the Bench
One area of the Sixers' roster this season that has not gotten enough shine is the veterans. The additions of Danny Green and Dwight Howard this offseason have shown to be crucial moves not only on the floor but in the locker room as well.
This year's roster is hands down the best group of veterans that have been put around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons since they arrived in the NBA. From both a winning and leadership perspective, Green and Howard's value in Philly's locker room has been invaluable.
The surrounding group of veterans would get even stronger at the trade deadline when the Sixers would acquire George Hill from the OKC Thunder.
Hill is a veteran point guard who has done an excellent job playing alongside star talent throughout his career. Playing with the likes of the Spurs' trio of the past, Paul George, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What makes this so important is that he understands his role within a team. His ability to excel playing off of star talent is what made his acquisition an extremely under-the-radar move at the deadline.
Since his arrival, there has been some speculation as to what his role will be for the Sixers moving forward. Whether he will be coming off the bench or be inserted into the starting lineup. Hill would speak about this to the media on Thursday, saying he is fine with either situation.
"[Doc Rivers] knows I've never been the type to care about if I'm starting or care about if I'm coming off the bench or how man shots I'm getting and things like that. He knows the only thing that matters to me is winning basketball games, playing the right way, having fun, and competing," says Hill.
Despite only being here for a short time, it is clear that Hill is the perfect fit for this team culture-wise. Many players and coaches have emphasized winning being the main goal, not stats, and it looks like Hill has that same thought process.
Hill understands it is not in his power to decide what his role is for this team, but he is ready to make the most out of whatever is given to him.
"That's up to the coaches and the staff if they want me starting or coming off the bench. Any role they give me I'm going to embrace with open arms. No matter if it's 30 minutes or 15 minutes, I'm gonna go out there and play hard and compete to try and help us win games," he said.
Being thrown onto a roster that is looking to compete for a title can't be easy, but it appears like Hill has come in with the right mindset. His understanding of where he fits on this team already is only going to make it easier to integrate him on the court once he can make his debut.
Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers for South Jersey's 97.3 ESPN and Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @KevinMcCNBA.
