Grant Hill to make decision end of the week

[The_Game]

On what team he will sign for

Seems Suns are the favourite.

Hill's pick likely by end of week

Paul Coro
The Arizona Republic
Jul. 3, 2007 10:23 PM
And now the Suns wait.

After hearing Phoenix's recruiting pitch Tuesday, free agent Grant Hill is expected to make his choice known by the end of the week.

Hill passed on tours and in-home visits and settled for phone calls with his suitors. Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr got the last word of the interested teams.


Hill also is considering Detroit, San Antonio, Miami and a surprise - Dallas. Hill was born and lived a portion of his boyhood in Dallas, where his father, Calvin, played six years for the NFL's Cowboys.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is a longtime Hill fan, and his team was hoping to get point guard help. Hill is a wing player but can run an offense, which is part of the attraction for Phoenix to have another facilitator besides Steve Nash and Boris Diaw.

Many in the league consider Phoenix the favorite, but Detroit is a strong possibility because of Hill's friendship with ex-teammate and Pistons President Joe Dumars.

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0703sunsnb0704.html

[timvp]

Eh, at least it'll be over quick. I don't really think it affects the Spurs much no matter where he lands ... even if it's San Antonio.

:hat

[Vito Corleone]

If this was 1997 I would be on pins and needles but in 2007 Hill is a non-factor, he missed his shot so who cares what he does.

[timvp]

Hill was far and away the Magic's worst plus/minus player last year. At this point he's a faint shadow of his former self, so I can't even say he'll do a team more good than harm next season.

I'd be more excited if the Spurs coaxed Michael Jordan out of retirement than if they sign Grant Hill.

Magic's plus/minus:
http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22006&split=9&team=Magic

[The_Game]

14 points, 3 boards, 2 assists on 50% shooting is a top draw season to me. He would help any team. Would really help Phoenix with ball handling or anybody. He could be the difference maker on a contender.

[TDMVPDPOY]

pls stay away from the spurs...u had your chance, wait he nearly robbed us of tim duncan to the magic...no gtfo

[picnroll]

Here's another guy who is not to hot in +/- though

link to 06-07 (http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22006&split=9&team=Bulls)


link to 05-06 (http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22005&split=9&team=Bulls)

[timvp]

Here's another guy who is not to hot in +/- though

link to 06-07 (http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22006&split=9&team=Bulls)


link to 05-06 (http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22005&split=9&team=Bulls)

Ha, yeah I've seen that. That's why I don't know about giving him more than $40M.

However, I think most of that came from playing out of position. The Bulls have played him a lot at power forward and he's not a guy who can play huge minutes at power forward.

According to this (http://www.82games.com/0607/06CHI8C.HTM) Nocioni played 80% of his minutes last year at power forward. I would expect him to struggle as a power forward over the long haul.

But as you can also see in that link, he seemingly defended small forwards quite well. Nocioni isn't perfect and there are reasons why the Bulls would rather keep some of their other players, but he's as good as the Spurs can hope to find this summer. And even he's a long shot.

[Vito Corleone]

If I had to chose between Nocioni and cap pace for 2K8 I would rather have the cap space. I don't even know who is in the 2k8 FA market but I know the top guys will be better than Nocioni.

[ATRAIN]

If he does sign, how many games would he actually play hahahha

[Russ]

He just can't let it go. He still wants to be wined and dined and "win a ring."

He will decide by the end of the week.

"Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

[bigfan]

We do not want or need this guy.

[ATRAIN]

He just can't let it go. He still wants to be wined and dined and "win a ring."

He will decide by the end of the week.

"Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."


Well if he wants a ring why would he go to the suns :)?

[timvp]

14 points, 3 boards, 2 assists on 50% shooting is a top draw season to me. He would help any team. Would really help Phoenix with ball handling or anybody. He could be the difference maker on a contender.

My problems with Hill:

-Can't shoot the three.
-Can't defend.
-Doesn't rebound much anymore.
-Overrated passer. Averages more turnovers than assists.
-Drama queen. He's like Karl Malone, Jr. in that respect.
-Doesn't or can't practice.
-Most brittle player in the league.
-Has only come off the bench six times in his career.
-Hasn't played a meaningful playoff game since his injury.

Other than that, he's awesome.

[xmas1997]

I wouldn't hold my breath for Hill, nor for Nocioni, nor any of the other supposed rumors out there.
My best guess is the Spurs go into the upcoming season with who they presently already have.
And that is bascially what they have been saying they were going to do all along, i.e. allow the champions to defend their title.

[samikeyp]

My problems with Hill:

-Can't shoot the three.
-Can't defend.
-Doesn't rebound much anymore.
-Overrated passer. Averages more turnovers than assists.
-Drama queen. He's like Karl Malone, Jr. in that respect.
-Doesn't or can't practice.
-Most brittle player in the league.
-Has only come off the bench six times in his career.
-Hasn't played a meaningful playoff game since his injury.

Other than that, he's awesome

:lol

"Other than that...how did you like the play Mrs. Lincoln?"

[Russ]

Well if he wants a ring why would he go to the suns :)?
The point is, he's deluded. :)

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

14 points, 3 boards, 2 assists on 50% shooting is a top draw season to me. He would help any team. Would really help Phoenix with ball handling or anybody. He could be the difference maker on a contender.

He' a turnstile on defense.

[justanotherspursfan]

He' a turnstile on defense.

Suns it is, then. :lol

[NASHville]

I hope he lands in the land of the Sun!

[xmas1997]

Actually, I kind of doubt the Suns get him, and certainly not the Mavs.
My best bet would be he stays in Orlando or an outside chance he goes to Detroit.

[Tippecanoe]

do not sign this guy

let phoenix have him

[T Park]

yup, time to start turning down free agents

cause

Beno > Grant Hill

[Testing]

I don't understand how he fits into the Suns system? Having him in the game with be similiar to the problem the Suns had with Thomas in defending Duncan....he slows the game down, allows the other team to set up their half court defense and we all know Suns have difficulty scoring if they aren't getting easy transition buckets.

Do they really expect Hill to be able to run up and down the floor with them? Not only that, but he's not really a 3 point threat so he doesn't fit in with their perimeter game either.

[judaspriestess]

I wonder if the suns stupid mascot gorilla was driving around in the background on that obnoxious motorcycle, to heighten the pitch even more.

another smokescreen to convince grant hill but that just might be the best place for him. I wonder if amare will withdraw even more.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

yup, time to start turning down free agents

cause

Beno > Grant Hill

yup, time to pull a stupid post out of your ass and pine for an old, broken down SF to play backup PG and get used by Terry, Harris, etc.

[exstatic]

yup, time to start turning down free agents

cause

Beno > Grant Hill

2000 called. They want their Grant Hill admiration society card back.

[lebomb]

Hill will not come to the Spurs..........He wanted Duncan in Orlando with him and TD said no.....expect the same from Hill.

[Money316]

Hill will not come to the Spurs..........He wanted Duncan in Orlando with him and TD said no.....expect the same from Hill.
Bullshit. If Hill asked TD what he thought, TD would probably say the same thing he told Finley, "love to have you, but we don't need ya."

However, he might add this time, "...and don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out -- hate for you to start out on the IR."

:flag:

[T Park]

:lol

When did Beno Udrih become better than Grant Hill.

Unreal :lol

[SenorSpur]

I don't understand how he fits into the Suns system? Having him in the game with be similiar to the problem the Suns had with Thomas in defending Duncan....he slows the game down, allows the other team to set up their half court defense and we all know Suns have difficulty scoring if they aren't getting easy transition buckets.

Do they really expect Hill to be able to run up and down the floor with them? Not only that, but he's not really a 3 point threat so he doesn't fit in with their perimeter game either.

Remember this is a Suns organization that thought enough to bring in Jalen Rose - thinking HE would push them over the top.

[exstatic]

Phoenix's version of Three Card Monte.

"Hey, we signed this player that you heard of ten years ago, so please forget about our latest meltdown!!!"

[samikeyp]

Uh oh....Grant Hill could be that lockdown defender the Suns desperately need.

:lol

[Warlord23]

Phoenix's version of Three Card Monte.

"Hey, we signed this player that you heard of ten years ago, so please forget about our latest meltdown!!!"

No kidding. Since 2004, Phoenix has pulled off one or more moves to sign "quality vets" every offseason to get them over the hump, with mixed results.

2004-05: Steve Nash, Jim Jackson
2005-06: Tim Thomas, Eddie House, Kurt Thomas
2006-07: Jalen Rose, Marcus Banks, Eric Piatkowski

Jackson played well his first year, was disastrous in his second. Tim Thomas and House got one season and were out. Rose, Banks and Piatkowski hardly got off the pine this year.

Obviously getting Nash turned the team around and gave D'Antoni a lot of undeserved credit. Kurt Thomas has been adequate, but D'Antoni has shown an unwillingness to use him enough.

Bottomline, they may get another set of vets to sign on, but D'Antoni's clueless coaching will ensure that they don't make too much impact on Phoenix's playoff success. As long as D'Antoni coaches that team, no amount of offseason player shuffling will hide Phoenix's glaring weaknesses: poor defense, lack of rebounding, underutilized bench, key players tiring themselves over a long season, etc.

[JMarkJohns]

Uh oh....Grant Hill could be that lockdown defender the Suns desperately need.

:lol

Or, if managed right, the backup facilitator they have lacked since JJ bolted...

I don't buy into this notion of him starting. He shouldn't be. He should be a bench player, both maximizing his minutes vs. other team's second strings, and his touches. Play with Nashat times, sure, but he needn't play more than 25 minutes a game, and even that's pushing it.

He's a nice bench signing, and hopefully with Tucker they added one more quality wing defender. If Hill signs for the vets min, then the Suns can go after Ely or PJ Brown with part of their MLE, or, if Darko's would accept a contract starting in the 6 million range, Darko with their 3 million trade exception and the 2008 Atlanta pick.

[baseline bum]

Hill was far and away the Magic's worst plus/minus player last year. At this point he's a faint shadow of his former self, so I can't even say he'll do a team more good than harm next season.

I'd be more excited if the Spurs coaxed Michael Jordan out of retirement than if they sign Grant Hill.

Magic's plus/minus:
http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22006&split=9&team=Magic

Look who happens to be #1 in the league in +/- ...

http://www.nba.com/statistics/lenovo/lenovo_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22006&split=9&team=

It's not even close. Tim's +/- for the season is roughly 20% better than the #2 guy (Nowitzki).

[clubalien]

For those that mostly only see spurs games here is a clip of what grant hill would bring to the spurs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dhd5SWS8u4Y

[ploto]

Every time I have gone to a Magic game Grant Hill has been hurt. I hate that I never got to see him play in person before he got hurt.

[Stargazer]

No kidding. Since 2004, Phoenix has pulled off one or more moves to sign "quality vets" every offseason to get them over the hump, with mixed results.

2004-05: Steve Nash, Jim Jackson
2005-06: Tim Thomas, Eddie House, Kurt Thomas
2006-07: Jalen Rose, Marcus Banks, Eric Piatkowski

Jackson played well his first year, was disastrous in his second. Tim Thomas and House got one season and were out. Rose, Banks and Piatkowski hardly got off the pine this year.

Obviously getting Nash turned the team around and gave D'Antoni a lot of undeserved credit. Kurt Thomas has been adequate, but D'Antoni has shown an unwillingness to use him enough.

Bottomline, they may get another set of vets to sign on, but D'Antoni's clueless coaching will ensure that they don't make too much impact on Phoenix's playoff success. As long as D'Antoni coaches that team, no amount of offseason player shuffling will hide Phoenix's glaring weaknesses: poor defense, lack of rebounding, underutilized bench, key players tiring themselves over a long season, etc.

Give me a break. The Suns and Spurs were clearly the top two teams in the league last year, and were evenly matched -- even though (and I agree with this much) Rose, Pike and Banks were complete busts. I don't know how Hill will work out, but it's not going to make or break the Suns either way.