duncan228
03-13-2009, 12:10 AM
Hill gets a valuable lesson directly from the master (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Hill_gets_a_valuable_lesson_directly_from_the_mast er.html)
Mike Monroe
In the two games that preceded the Spurs' Thursday night matchup against the Lakers, coach Gregg Popovich had asked George Hill to defend two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and Bobcats' guard Raja Bell.
But Kobe Bryant is the reigning MVP.
Would Popovich really try that, too?
“Sure,” he said an hour before tipoff. “It would be a good education for him.”
Sure enough, with Thursday's game in the balance after Tony Parker's 3-pointer trimmed the Lakers' lead to 95-93, Hill was matched up defensively on Bryant.
What did he learn?
“That people are going to make shots,” Hill said.
In this case, it was Bryant making a tough, well-contested fadeaway 3-pointer with 1:46 remaining in the game, sucking most of the emotion out of the AT&T Center and pushing the Lakers' lead back to five points.
It turned out to be enough of a cushion to hand the Spurs their 21st loss of the season.
Hill's defense could not be faulted on Bryant's basket. He cut off Bryant's jab step to the right, then gave the Lakers' great scarcely enough room to release his shot after he jumped, fading back and slightly to his left.
“I thought it was pretty good defense,” Hill said, “but that's Kobe. He makes great plays, and you have to give him hands-down respect. He made a great shot.”
“I was very surprised. Off the dribble, fadeaway from three, with a hand in his face. But that's what he does.”
Hill's teammates defended his defensive work on the play.
“He looked great,” Spurs captain Tim Duncan said. “The one shot Kobe hit, I thought he was very much into him, very much a contested shot. That's Kobe being Kobe. He made a big shot.”
Popovich defended Hill, too.
“If you've watched him, then you should know why (he was on Bryant),” he said. “He plays a heck of a defense, and he does a good job. He did a good job tonight.
“Every minute he's on the court, he's learning. He's a rookie, and it's his first time to play against everyone. Every game, every minute, is an education for him.”
Bryant was a little surprised to find Hill matched up against him in crunch time instead of veteran Bruce Bowen, with whom he has waged many battles over the past seven seasons.
“It's weird for me, because I'm so used to having him draped all over me,” Bryant said.
“But I think Hill and (Roger) Mason do an admirable job.”
What did Bryant think when he found a rookie guarding him so late in a close game?
“Make them,” he said. “But against San Antonio, they're not going to let you do that, because they're going to send everybody there. They're going to send help and they're going to try to bait me into taking the tough shot.
“I just had to space them out and find the open guy. Then, at the end, I was able to get a good look at a three and put it in, which kind of gave us some breathing room.”
Mike Monroe
In the two games that preceded the Spurs' Thursday night matchup against the Lakers, coach Gregg Popovich had asked George Hill to defend two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash and Bobcats' guard Raja Bell.
But Kobe Bryant is the reigning MVP.
Would Popovich really try that, too?
“Sure,” he said an hour before tipoff. “It would be a good education for him.”
Sure enough, with Thursday's game in the balance after Tony Parker's 3-pointer trimmed the Lakers' lead to 95-93, Hill was matched up defensively on Bryant.
What did he learn?
“That people are going to make shots,” Hill said.
In this case, it was Bryant making a tough, well-contested fadeaway 3-pointer with 1:46 remaining in the game, sucking most of the emotion out of the AT&T Center and pushing the Lakers' lead back to five points.
It turned out to be enough of a cushion to hand the Spurs their 21st loss of the season.
Hill's defense could not be faulted on Bryant's basket. He cut off Bryant's jab step to the right, then gave the Lakers' great scarcely enough room to release his shot after he jumped, fading back and slightly to his left.
“I thought it was pretty good defense,” Hill said, “but that's Kobe. He makes great plays, and you have to give him hands-down respect. He made a great shot.”
“I was very surprised. Off the dribble, fadeaway from three, with a hand in his face. But that's what he does.”
Hill's teammates defended his defensive work on the play.
“He looked great,” Spurs captain Tim Duncan said. “The one shot Kobe hit, I thought he was very much into him, very much a contested shot. That's Kobe being Kobe. He made a big shot.”
Popovich defended Hill, too.
“If you've watched him, then you should know why (he was on Bryant),” he said. “He plays a heck of a defense, and he does a good job. He did a good job tonight.
“Every minute he's on the court, he's learning. He's a rookie, and it's his first time to play against everyone. Every game, every minute, is an education for him.”
Bryant was a little surprised to find Hill matched up against him in crunch time instead of veteran Bruce Bowen, with whom he has waged many battles over the past seven seasons.
“It's weird for me, because I'm so used to having him draped all over me,” Bryant said.
“But I think Hill and (Roger) Mason do an admirable job.”
What did Bryant think when he found a rookie guarding him so late in a close game?
“Make them,” he said. “But against San Antonio, they're not going to let you do that, because they're going to send everybody there. They're going to send help and they're going to try to bait me into taking the tough shot.
“I just had to space them out and find the open guy. Then, at the end, I was able to get a good look at a three and put it in, which kind of gave us some breathing room.”