duncan228
11-09-2009, 12:59 AM
Seasoned Hill finds familiar opening (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/Seasoned_Hill_finds_familiar_opening.html)
Jeff McDonald
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has never claimed to be clairvoyant. When it comes to the career of second-year guard George Hill, however, he thinks he can read the tea leaves.
Hill's future, Popovich believes, is not to be found on an NBA bench.
“I think he has the ability to be a starter, without a doubt,” Popovich said. “The next couple years will tell whether he understands the game enough, and has the leadership qualities to lead a team on the court. I have a feeling he can do that, but we'll give him time and see how he does.”
For one game, at least, the Spurs are hoping to press fast-forward on Hill's progress.
All-Star Tony Parker has been all but ruled out of tonight's game against Toronto with a sprained left ankle. That means for the second November in a row, Hill is the Spurs' starting point guard.
A year ago almost to the day, Parker went down with a similar injury, and Hill was thrust into the starting lineup six games into his NBA career. That's where the déjà vu ends.
With a year of service on his résumé, the 6-foot-3 Hill is better equipped to run a team than he was at this time a season ago.
“Last year, it was almost the same thing,” Hill said. “Tony went down, and I had an opportunity. It's a job. You have to go out and fulfill your job. That's what I'm hopefully going to do.”
Parker's latest injury, suffered in Friday night's loss at Portland, is less severe than the one that caused him to miss three weeks last November. There remains a chance he could return as early as Wednesday against Dallas.
Still, the loss of their leading scorer comes at a critical time for the Spurs, who are 2-3 after back-to-back losses at Utah and Portland. The Spurs get eight of the next 10 games at home, a favorable stretch of scheduling they cannot afford to squander.
Enter Hill, whose primary job will be to keep the ship on course for as long as Parker is sidelined. He is averaging nine points per game and, save for a 1-for-8 clunker at Utah, has proven to be a steady option off the bench.
“We believe in George,” forward Richard Jefferson said. “Everyone understands he's a very capable point guard. You're going to miss Tony and the things he brings to the game. But when you look down that bench, you have to feel pretty confident this team can sustain its competitiveness just missing one or two guys.”
For Hill, last November's turn as a starter is a blur. At the time, he was barely off the boat from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
“That was a long time ago,” he said. “I was younger then.”
In his first start in place of Parker, Hill scored 12 points in a win over New York. He would start five more games before shifting back to the bench and finished out Parker's hiatus with three consecutive 20-point games.
Hill says he is more comfortable filling Parker's shoes now than last year.
“I'm a little more experienced and more disciplined than I was last year,” Hill said.
Popovich has noticed. He spent most of the preseason praising Hill as “my favorite player.”
“His confidence has really skyrocketed,” Popovich said. “He feels more at home. He's not worried about making a team. He knows he's already part of the family.”
Popovich has been impressed by Hill's learning curve, from one November to the next.
“If he continues to improve and understand what's going on at this rate, he's not just going to be a guy who is in the league,” Popovich said, “but a guy who is a factor in the league.”
With Parker out, and a stretch of winnable games upcoming, the Spurs could use Hill to be a factor, starting tonight.
Jeff McDonald
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has never claimed to be clairvoyant. When it comes to the career of second-year guard George Hill, however, he thinks he can read the tea leaves.
Hill's future, Popovich believes, is not to be found on an NBA bench.
“I think he has the ability to be a starter, without a doubt,” Popovich said. “The next couple years will tell whether he understands the game enough, and has the leadership qualities to lead a team on the court. I have a feeling he can do that, but we'll give him time and see how he does.”
For one game, at least, the Spurs are hoping to press fast-forward on Hill's progress.
All-Star Tony Parker has been all but ruled out of tonight's game against Toronto with a sprained left ankle. That means for the second November in a row, Hill is the Spurs' starting point guard.
A year ago almost to the day, Parker went down with a similar injury, and Hill was thrust into the starting lineup six games into his NBA career. That's where the déjà vu ends.
With a year of service on his résumé, the 6-foot-3 Hill is better equipped to run a team than he was at this time a season ago.
“Last year, it was almost the same thing,” Hill said. “Tony went down, and I had an opportunity. It's a job. You have to go out and fulfill your job. That's what I'm hopefully going to do.”
Parker's latest injury, suffered in Friday night's loss at Portland, is less severe than the one that caused him to miss three weeks last November. There remains a chance he could return as early as Wednesday against Dallas.
Still, the loss of their leading scorer comes at a critical time for the Spurs, who are 2-3 after back-to-back losses at Utah and Portland. The Spurs get eight of the next 10 games at home, a favorable stretch of scheduling they cannot afford to squander.
Enter Hill, whose primary job will be to keep the ship on course for as long as Parker is sidelined. He is averaging nine points per game and, save for a 1-for-8 clunker at Utah, has proven to be a steady option off the bench.
“We believe in George,” forward Richard Jefferson said. “Everyone understands he's a very capable point guard. You're going to miss Tony and the things he brings to the game. But when you look down that bench, you have to feel pretty confident this team can sustain its competitiveness just missing one or two guys.”
For Hill, last November's turn as a starter is a blur. At the time, he was barely off the boat from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).
“That was a long time ago,” he said. “I was younger then.”
In his first start in place of Parker, Hill scored 12 points in a win over New York. He would start five more games before shifting back to the bench and finished out Parker's hiatus with three consecutive 20-point games.
Hill says he is more comfortable filling Parker's shoes now than last year.
“I'm a little more experienced and more disciplined than I was last year,” Hill said.
Popovich has noticed. He spent most of the preseason praising Hill as “my favorite player.”
“His confidence has really skyrocketed,” Popovich said. “He feels more at home. He's not worried about making a team. He knows he's already part of the family.”
Popovich has been impressed by Hill's learning curve, from one November to the next.
“If he continues to improve and understand what's going on at this rate, he's not just going to be a guy who is in the league,” Popovich said, “but a guy who is a factor in the league.”
With Parker out, and a stretch of winnable games upcoming, the Spurs could use Hill to be a factor, starting tonight.