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Share76ers Re-Sign Restricted Free Agent Guard Willie Green
Philadelphia 76ers President Billy King announced July 12 that the team has re-signed restricted free agent guard Willie Green. Per team policy, terms of the contract are not disclosed.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce the re-signing of Willie Green,” King said at a press conference Thursday. “I think we sorely missed Willie last year for his toughness on defense, his ability to score the ball and his leadership. I’m excited [about] the hard work that he went through to get back on the court. We were able to get a contract that works for him and works for us. I’m just excited that now that he has signed, he can go play 5-on-5.”
"I feel like everything happens for a reason," Green said. "When I got injured last year, for whatever reason, I was able to come out. It was tough. This press conference is happening today and it is supposed to happen today. I’m not looking in the rear-view mirror and wondering what would have happened last year. Everything is falling in place like it’s supposed to, and I’m happy that we were able to come and get this contract done. Now I can go play a couple of pickup games.
Green, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard from Detroit Mercy appeared in only 10 games last season for Philadelphia after spending the majority of the year rehabilitating from reconstructive surgery that was performed on his right knee in August of 2005. He was signed to a contract on March 23, 2006, and in his 10 games (2 starts), averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. In his three-year Sixers career, Green has averaged 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 120 contests while averaging 16.6 minutes per game.
“This time last year, it was pretty tough watching Sam and Kyle [sign their contracts],” Green said. “I was happy for those guys, but I knew I was supposed to be there. But it didn’t work out. A year later, I’m back in a similar position, and it just made me a lot stronger, a lot smarter and a little bit wiser. I was able to kind of step back from the game and watch my teammates and watch some things that we needed to do. Now I’m ready. I’m ready to just take that step forward.
"Sometimes, we take this for granted. We take being in the NBA and playing professionally for granted. Our coaches and people always tell you to go play every game like it’s your last. But you don’t think that. That’s what made me wiser. It really can be your last game. You never know when it’s going to happen. So, stepping back and seeing that and realizing that made me realize that when I do get on the floor, just bring it all out every game. That’s what I kind of learned from that situation."
In 21 starts during the 2004-05 season, Green averaged a career-high 7.7 points per game. Green's career-high mark for a single game came that year when he scored 32 points in a January contest against the Wizards.
"I’m on the verge of being better than I was," Green said. "My legs are stronger. Everything has come back. All my quickness and all of my power [are back]. I can sit up here and talk about it all I want to, but I’m not much for words. When the season comes, that’s when the real test will come."
Green was drafted by Seattle in the second round (41st pick overall ) of the 2003 NBA Draft, and was acquired by Philadelphia in a draft night trade in exchange for the draft rights to Paccelis Morlende (2nd round, 50th pick) and an undisclosed amount of cash.
“It gives me great pleasure to announce the re-signing of Willie Green,” King said at a press conference Thursday. “I think we sorely missed Willie last year for his toughness on defense, his ability to score the ball and his leadership. I’m excited [about] the hard work that he went through to get back on the court. We were able to get a contract that works for him and works for us. I’m just excited that now that he has signed, he can go play 5-on-5.”
"I feel like everything happens for a reason," Green said. "When I got injured last year, for whatever reason, I was able to come out. It was tough. This press conference is happening today and it is supposed to happen today. I’m not looking in the rear-view mirror and wondering what would have happened last year. Everything is falling in place like it’s supposed to, and I’m happy that we were able to come and get this contract done. Now I can go play a couple of pickup games.
Green, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard from Detroit Mercy appeared in only 10 games last season for Philadelphia after spending the majority of the year rehabilitating from reconstructive surgery that was performed on his right knee in August of 2005. He was signed to a contract on March 23, 2006, and in his 10 games (2 starts), averaged 7.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game. In his three-year Sixers career, Green has averaged 7.3 points and 1.8 rebounds in 120 contests while averaging 16.6 minutes per game.
“This time last year, it was pretty tough watching Sam and Kyle [sign their contracts],” Green said. “I was happy for those guys, but I knew I was supposed to be there. But it didn’t work out. A year later, I’m back in a similar position, and it just made me a lot stronger, a lot smarter and a little bit wiser. I was able to kind of step back from the game and watch my teammates and watch some things that we needed to do. Now I’m ready. I’m ready to just take that step forward.
"Sometimes, we take this for granted. We take being in the NBA and playing professionally for granted. Our coaches and people always tell you to go play every game like it’s your last. But you don’t think that. That’s what made me wiser. It really can be your last game. You never know when it’s going to happen. So, stepping back and seeing that and realizing that made me realize that when I do get on the floor, just bring it all out every game. That’s what I kind of learned from that situation."
In 21 starts during the 2004-05 season, Green averaged a career-high 7.7 points per game. Green's career-high mark for a single game came that year when he scored 32 points in a January contest against the Wizards.
"I’m on the verge of being better than I was," Green said. "My legs are stronger. Everything has come back. All my quickness and all of my power [are back]. I can sit up here and talk about it all I want to, but I’m not much for words. When the season comes, that’s when the real test will come."
Green was drafted by Seattle in the second round (41st pick overall ) of the 2003 NBA Draft, and was acquired by Philadelphia in a draft night trade in exchange for the draft rights to Paccelis Morlende (2nd round, 50th pick) and an undisclosed amount of cash.
