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**Coatesvillain** · 11-07-2004, 02:08 AM

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The good news for 76ers guard Willie Green last night was that he made his first career NBA start in his hometown against the Detroit Pistons.

The good news for Sixers coach Jim O'Brien was that his decision to start Green was influenced by the recommendation of Aaron McKie, who was in the starting lineup the first two games.

"Aaron actually was the guy who came to me today at the hotel and said, 'Willie is eventually going to be the starting [shooting guard]. Why don't you start him now?' " O'Brien said before last night's game at the Palace of Auburn Hills. "That's Aaron. He's a great team player.

"Willie has played very well. He'll need to chase around Richard Hamilton tonight. We've been grooming Willie all along to be a starter, and tonight's his chance."

Even though McKie started the first two games, Green, a second-year player from Detroit's Cooley High School and the University of Detroit Mercy, is second on the team behind Allen Iverson in minutes played with 70. He went into last night's game second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game.

O'Brien said he has been impressed by Green's attitude the last two weeks. The coach announced his starting lineup Oct. 26 but noted that Green and center Samuel Dalembert, a starter last season, did not hang their heads in disappointment.

"I think it's a good sign for our basketball team to have guys like that," O'Brien said. "Sam is doing the same thing, but he's not down. Those guys want to play, and they're putting their best foot forward. They know playing time is earned, and all they're thinking about is what they can do to earn more minutes."

McKie played only 34 minutes in his first two games, took only three shots from the field and did not score. He did rank second on the team in assists with six.

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I'm still dissapointed in McKie's play, but it took a lot of class to come out and do this, because he could've decided to stay in the starting lineup and not produce and have Willie still come off the bench. Maybe when Salmons comes back, McKie will step up and say that Salmons deserves the minutes more than he does as well, that'd be not only a classy move, but the right one.

**Coatesvillain** · 11-09-2004, 09:12 AM

Quote:

O'Brien said before Saturday's 99-91 loss in Detroit that Aaron McKie influenced his decision to start Willie Green ahead of McKie at shooting guard.

Asked yesterday if he would have started Green even if McKie didn't come to him with the idea, O'Brien responded, "I would have done it that night." Speaking of McKie, he has become a shooting guard who is reluctant to shoot. In 54 minutes, he has taken just six shots, making one.

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**Sliccat** · 11-09-2004, 06:43 PM

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Originally posted by PhillyPhanatic!

I'm still dissapointed in McKie's play, but it took a lot of class to come out and do this, because he could've decided to stay in the starting lineup and not produce and have Willie still come off the bench. Maybe when Salmons comes back, McKie will step up and say that Salmons deserves the minutes more than he does as well, that'd be not only a classy move, but the right one.

At this point, I think Mckie would be best suited to playing 8-10 minutes off the bench at point guard. He's got a good enough sense of the floor to still be useful there.

Vermillion · 11-10-2004, 02:43 AM

Really great. Now all we need is Dalembert starting over Jackson, and I'll be a happy camper.

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