Getty Philadelphia 76ers forward Danny Green defends against the Atlanta Hawks.
Danny Green has never dropped 40 points in a game, pulled down a $20-plus million annual salary, or played in an NBA All-Star Game. Outside of an All-Defensive Second Team selection in 2017, the Philadelphia 76ers wing hasn’t received major recognition for his efforts at all.
What he has done, though, is affect winning at an incredibly high level everywhere he has been. If the numbers don’t always bear it out, his three championship rings certainly do.
That has continued to be the case since his move to Philly, where he has helped the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference as he aims to add a fourth ring to his collection.
Clearly, though, his contributions have flown under the radar at times. So much so, in fact, that a former league executive and noted hoops analyst counts Green among the most underappreciated players in the entire Association.
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Hollinger: Green One of the NBA’s 10 Most Underrated
On Thursday, The Athletic’s John Hollinger — who was once a high-ranking member of the Memphis Grizzlies’ front office — submitted the 10 players comprising his personal “All-Underrated Team.” Green came in at No. 7 on his list.
Wrote Hollinger:
“Danny Green just impacts winning and does it so quietly that he managed the rare feat of being underrated even while playing for the Lakers. Green is on his fourth team in four years, but over the last five seasons, his teams are 262-120 with two championships, and he may add a third this season with the 76ers. That’s half a decade of winning at a 56-win pace.”
He made sure to note that LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard had something to do with those titles, but emphasized Green’s ability to contribute on an elite squad.
Hollinger also opined that Green was one of the best transition defenders he had ever seen.
“Green has an almost magical sixth sense for turning odd-man opponent breaks that are normally easy layups into blocks, turnovers and other assorted miscues,” he added.
In 64 games this season, Green is averaging 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest. He boasts an effective field goal percentage of 57.8.
Other Sixers Alums Make the List
Green wasn’t the only player with Philly ties to appear Hollinger’s list. Jrue Holiday, who spent the first four years of his career with the Sixers, came in at No 2.
“Most high-usage perimeter players are either properly rated or overrated just by the nature of the beast: They show up in the highlights, they feature in the box score, they’re the first guy mentioned in the TV promos,” he wrote. “Jrue Holiday is a glaring exception, the most underrated high-usage guard in the game.”
Elsewhere on the list, big man Richaun Holmes, who played with the Sixer from 2015 to 2018, came in one spot below Green at No. 8.
“Quietly, Holmes has become one of the best floater shooters in the league, which is a rare statement for a center,” Hollinger observed.
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