The 2021-2022 season hasn't treated Sixers two-way guard Grant Riller too well. After playing his first NBA season as a member of the Charlotte Hornets' organization, Riller landed with the Sixers via free agency this past offseason.
As the Sixers needed depth at the point guard position, especially with Ben Simmons holding out from training camp, the 76ers brought in the former College of Charleston standout to fill one of their two-way slots after cutting the cord with former Delaware Blue Coats standout Rayjon Tucker.
Riller was a training camp standout amid his first few sessions with the Sixers. During their first game of the preseason, he showed some nice flashes as he picked up some playing time in the second half. Unfortunately, his first preseason action with the Sixers would be his last.
During Philly's first preseason game on the road in Toronto, Riller went down with a knee injury. Following the matchup, the second-year ball-handler was diagnosed with a torn meniscus. Therefore, he opted to get surgery.
Once Riller found out his diagnosis, his preseason was finished prematurely as he was ruled out indefinitely. A little over a month later, though, he returned to the court. By the time Riller's knee fully recovered, the Sixers had already tipped off the regular season. Also, the Delaware Blue Coats fired up theirs as well.
To no surprise, Riller joined the Blue Coats to fulfill his duty as a two-way player on the squad. Riller has been active with the Blue Coats for the last couple of weeks, but another injury has set him back once again.
According to a Sixers team official, Riller has suffered a right shoulder injury recently. Now, he'll miss at least a week's worth of games and will be re-evaluated next Tuesday, at the earliest.
That's a tough blow for Riller, who was just beginning to get his feet wet once again in the NBA G League. So far this season, Riller appeared in four games for the Blue Coats. He averaged 11 minutes on the floor and shot 40-percent from the field while averaging five points per game. Now, his second-year progress will take another step back as he's set to miss more playing time.
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