Sixers expect Daniels to play Tuesday vs. Celtics

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Monday, April 4, 2011Posted: 4:20 p.m.
By Reuben FrankCSNPhilly.com

Sometime later this weekprobably on ThursdayAntonio Daniels will practice for the first time with the Sixers.

Before he gets around to practicing, hell actually play in a game.

Sixers head coach Doug Collins said Monday that Daniels, the 36-year-old veteran point guard, will officially join the Sixers on a 10-day contract Tuesday morning in Boston, where the Sixers will face the Celtics later in the day at TD Garden.

With guard Lou Williams out for at least the rest of the regular season with a strained right hamstring, the Sixers plan to not only sign Daniels Tuesday but play him.

He could very likely play, Collins said after practice Monday at PCOM. One thing about the NBA, when youve played 13 years or whatever, theres nothing that were going to run that he hasnt seen. Its just a matter of how we get into it, because we might get into it just a little bit differently.We can run some simple things.

Because Daniels has not been on an NBA roster this year, the Sixers would be able to add him to their playoff roster if they retain his rights through the end of the regular season. The Sixers have five more regular-season games and will open their first-round playoff seriesmost likely against the Celtics or Heaton either April 16 or April 17.

Daniels has not played in an NBA game since April 29, 2009, Game 5 of the Hornets playoff series loss to the Nuggets in Denver. He spent this year in the NBAs Developmental League, averaging 14.5 points and 8.6 assists with the Texas Legendscoached by Nancy Lieberman. He also shot 45 percent from the field, 43 percent from long-range and 87 percent from the foul line.

Hes a very experienced guard, Collins said. (General Manager) Eddie Stefanski yesterday talked to Nancy Lieberman and (Thunder co-owner) Don Nelson, and they both said hes in great shape. In his last four games, hes had like 51 assists and four turnovers.

Daniels averaged 7.6 points and 3.4 assists in 867 NBA games, including 220 starts. He was originally the fourth pick in the 1997 draft out of Bowling Green.

Hes also made the playoffs 10 timesevery year from 1999 through 2009 with the exception of 2004. In 80 career playoff games, he averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 assists in 16 minutes.

Hes a guy whos played in the playoffs, good pick-and-roll player, shooting 43 percent from three, so he fits the criteria for it, Collins said. If youre going to bring somebody in, theres no need to bring in a younger player. Weve got enough youth on our team right now, so if were going to bring somebody in, its going to be somebody we think can pick things up quickly and give us some minutes.

Plus, in his career, he was a great free throw shooter, which helps late in games if youve got a little bit of a lead you can have him out on the floor. We know hes going to have to play some minutes for us.

Daniels was the oldest player in the D-League this year and the leagues second-most experienced player behind Antoine Walker of the Idaho Stampede, who has played in 26 more NBA games than Daniels.

Collins said he was intrigued by Daniels commitment to playing in the NBAs minor leagues at a point in his life where he could have retired comfortable after earning more than 45 million with the Grizzlies, Spurs, Trail Blazers, SuperSonics, Wizards and Hornets. He was also briefly the property of the Timberwolves in 2009 but never played for them.

I always like those guys who are hungry, Collins said. Antonio was out (of the NBA) for a year or two, but he wanted to show that he could still play and get back and be in the D-League and not stay in the nice hotels and not be on the charter planes.

His life has been one where hes lived an NBA life, so for him to do that tells me he really wants to play.
E-mail Reuben Frank at rfrank@comcastsportsnet.com

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