PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — When Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey traded for 34-year-old guard George Hill prior to the deadline on March 25, he didn’t know when Hill would return to game play from a thumb injury — but he did say, "It’s not long"
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However, as of Tuesday evening — almost two weeks to the day after Morey held his post-trade deadline press conference — it’s still unclear when Hill will make his 76ers debut.
"He’s on the [four-game road] trip and shot today," Head Coach Doc Rivers said before Tuesday’s 106-96 win over the Boston Celtics. "There’s no timetable that I know, to be honest. I can’t see it any time soon, honestly. I had that same injury. That’s not anything you mess around with, and just one whack, you may not get injured, but the pain is excruciating because your nerves are so raw. We’re gonna try to be as tentative as possible with this injury."
Two weeks isn't a long time, but Rivers' uncertainty is noteworthy.
According to The Oklahoman, Hill got surgery for a mallet finger injury. The Oklahoma City Thunder, his previous team, announced the surgery on Feb. 2, saying he would miss at least a month.
The Sixers acquired Hill to be an important part of their postseason rotation. It would be ideal if he could come back well before then, so he and the team can acclimate to each other. Rivers said in a previous Zoom conference that he hopes that can happen at least 10 games before the playoffs. The Sixers have 21 more regular season contests scheduled.
In professional sports, things can change in the snap of a finger. It would not be shocking if a different answer on Hill's debut suddenly emerged. Stay tuned.
“He’s been great in our shoot-arounds,” Rivers said. “He’s standing, literally, like one of the coaches. He’s absorbing. He’s actually making points defensively to some of our young guys, so he’s absorbing a lot.”