Draft Prospect: George Hill

[Marcus Bryant]

http://images.sportsline.com/images/collegebasketball/players/60x80/531399.jpg

Full Name: George Hill
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2 / 181
Birthdate: May 4, 1986
High School: Broad Ripple
College: IUPUI

NBADraft.net (http://nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/georgehill.html)
DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/George-Hill-5067/)

[Marcus Bryant]

George Hill 6-2 181 PG IUPUI Jr. -- 12.0 ppg, 48% fg, 36% 3p,

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/largepics/ghill03.jpg
George Hill

A sleeper pick of ours made the most out of his week, showing his great versatility and outperforming many of the other guards at camp. His quickness may not be up to top shelf, but he is able to use a variety of shifty, change of pace moves to create separation allowing him to either get into the lane or shoot. He is able to hit long and mid-range jumpers off the dribble under duress and his crafty ball handling always keeps the defender on his heels reacting to what he does. His arms are very long and he has nice wiry strength allowing him to play some very tough defense, frustrating the opposition into difficult shots and ill-advised turnovers. Decision making and passing wise he is decent, but not yet ready to be a serious play maker at the next level. He has a tendency to dribble too much before getting his team into their sets and sometimes he also takes too long to set up his one on one moves from the top. Another concerns with him is an injury that he suffered during his sophomore year when he broke his foot and there have been talks that he has been playing with screws in the foot for some time. As much as this injury hurt him, it also gave him an extra year of college, so if he feels that he hasn’t solidified his name in the draft he could take another year to increase his stock and prove that he is worthy of taking.

link (http://www.nbadraft.net/2008nbapredraftcamp008.asp)

[Marcus Bryant]

INDIANAPOLIS - IUPUI guard George Hill's whirlwind NBA tour continued on Monday as he worked out for the Indiana Pacers inside Conseco Fieldhouse in downtown Indy. The 2008 Summit League Player of the Year has worked out for the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and Seattle Supersonics in the past week and has workouts with the Dallas Mavericks, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets forthcoming.

link (http://www.iupuijags.com/news/2008/6/9/MBB_0609082045.aspx)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Don't know much about him, so undecided.

[timvp]

George Hill sounded calm and confident Saturday afternoon after making the biggest decision of his life.

The IUPUI junior who initially put his name in the NBA draft to gauge the league's interest decided to forego his final year of college eligibility and enter professional basketball.

IUPUI coach Ron Hunter said he has been told Hill will be picked between the 17th and 38th selection. All first round selections (1-30) receive a minimum of a guaranteed two-year contract. Second round picks do not automatically receive guaranteed contracts.

Hill has had private workouts with the Pacers, Boston, Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento, Seattle, San Antonio, Houston and Minnesota and has scheduled workouts this week with Cleveland, Washington, New Jersey and the L.A. Clippers.This is good news because there are very few point guards in this year's draft ... and the Spurs could actually use a point guard at either 26 or 45.

26 would be too high to draft him but 45 would be a nice place to take a flyer on this kid.

[Mr. Body]

IUPUI ("oowee-pooee") is a mask of sorts; some have said he could have played for any Div. I school. He's not quite a point guard but can handle himself, is smart, and has multiple skills.

[Holt's Cat]

I could see him at #45. I think they need a better pull at #26.

[SPURSGOAT]

I hope the Spurs don't use their 26th pick on a backup PG.

[Marcus Bryant]

"The process has been a blast always," Hill told Rivals.com on Monday. "Getting invited everywhere (Hill already has worked out for Boston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston, Indiana, Minnesota, Sacramento, San Antonio and Seattle) has been a blessing. … It has been great to visit different cities, meet the coaches."

link (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?cid=818208)

[Mr. Body]

I'll bank on Courtney Lee and George Hill and someone else with the 45. Hoosier State! Indianapolis!

[Pistons < Spurs]

Draft Report: George Hill


George Hill is another second rounder from a small school who has the potential to be a solid rotation player in the backcourt.

Hill is able to create his own shot almost anywhere on the floor. He gets his very pure shot off using the dribble and when tightly contested.

He has a perfect follow-through and release on the dribble as well as on the catch-and-shoot. Hill shot 45% from beyond the arc as a junior, which was a significant increase from his 30.8% as a sophomore. He also shot 81.2% from the free throw line.

He can knife all the way to the bucket off the dribble by blowing past defenders or using really impressive, well-balanced spin moves. Hill won’t frequently dunk in the halfcourt, but he can elevate a little bit for a flush when given some space.

He is able to split defenders well and can finish from six or seven feet out in a variety of ways, especially the glass. Hill does sometimes float towards the direction of his movement when he shoots off the dribble instead of jumping up straight. This helps him get a clean look, but accuracy is sacrificed.

He has a great change of direction with the dribble horizontally and also does an above average job of getting the ball out ahead to the wings in early offense when running the point.

Hill has the mental make-up and ball handling abilities to play the point in the NBA. While not an incredible passer, he makes sharp ones, whether on post-entry or overhead skips and knows his limitations.

Before putting the ball on the floor, Hill will comfortably remain in triple threat position and use pre-dribble jabs and fakes. But, he does have a tendency to over dribble once he does put it on the floor.

Hill is a good rebounder for his size and is impressively long to the ball despite being 6-2.

Defensively, Hill does a few things well and has good athleticism but struggled at IUPUI with the small stuff, which was probably due to how heavily they relied on him offensively.

He has good anticipation for where the pass is going and gets his long arms out into the passing lanes for deflections and steals, but he gets spun around too inexcusably much on help defense.

Hill does a good job of maximizing what length he does have when closing out, but he is too frequently a matador defender. He is not a very good on-ball wing defender at all and, hopefully for his sake, it is more of a pacing issue than talent issue because he will need to substantially improve that in the NBA.


http://www.realgm.com/src_fromtherafters/205/20080623/draft_report_george_hill_of_iupui/

[timvp]

George Hill's ascension the past two months has been nothing short of amazing, and current indications are that he might get picked in the first round.

This is just a bunch of reading between the lines, but it wouldn't be surprising if the Broad Ripple High School graduate went to either San Antonio with the 26th pick or Boston with the 30th.

http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/archives/2008/06/hill_lee_going.html

That'd be a reach. However, point guard is the position that makes the most sense for the Spurs in the first round. A swingman or bigman isn't going to crack the rotation. A point guard would.

[MoSpur]

From what I read, he has Spurs written all over him. I would not be surprised if the Spurs drafted him.

[Marcus Bryant]

Fallback if Chalmers isn't there at 26? That would make some sense, as the backup point spot is open. Still seems a little high for Hill.

At 26 there should still be a good selection of domestic athletic & rebounding PFs on the board. I can see the argument for Chalmers at 26 over a PF, but not Hill. Chalmers played heavy minutes for a NCAA championship team. He can knock down the 3, defend, and play in pressure situations. Hill tore it up at a small school. That's not to say Hill can't make the transition, but if you are going to give someone a guaranteed contract would you give it to the small school guy, or to say, a PF like Hendrix who played well in a major conference?

[Mr. Body]

Interesting he's moved up so much. He has good skills, but it says as much about the lack of PGs in the draft, with Collison and Lawson gone. I've heard a lot about LAL wanting him. I don't think he'll be a Spur.

[MoSpur]

Mr. Body has a good point about the lack of quality PGs in this year's draft. This is why maybe George Hill has moved up.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

/bump

[angelbelow]

great... i guess we need to take a look at this guy.

[xtremesteven33]

great pick.....i feel good about this....hes gonna be a solid backup PG for TP!!!

book it

[lefty]

From what I read, he has Spurs written all over him. I would not be surprised if the Spurs drafted him.

Well done

[Sigz]

http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/George-Hill-5067/

[Don Quixote]

IUPUI ("oowee-pooee") is a mask of sorts; some have said he could have played for any Div. I school. He's not quite a point guard but can handle himself, is smart, and has multiple skills.

I've been to Indiana, Pennsylvania. Yes, the locals are confused, too.

ESPN has it down as "Indiana Purdue" :lol

[Cant_Be_Faded]

You have got to be fucking god damn fucking shitting me

Why pick the starting rugged point guard from the national champion KU Jayhawks, when we can pick the point guard from IUPUI

this front office has fucking LOST IT

[Darkwaters]

I actually think I'd love this pick if we took him at 45. But with the 26th pick I just don't know...

[Spurtacus]

He would have been there at 45...

[timvp]

Man ... what a weird pick. Why don't you trade down and take him?

WTF?

[SequSpur]

You have got to be fucking god damn fucking shitting me

Why pick the starting rugged point guard from the national champion KU Jayhawks, when we can pick the point guard from IUPUI

this front office has fucking LOST IT

:(

[Pucho!!!]

Y do we need a backup pg? Barry did pretty good handlin the duties and manu is pretty good at handlin the rock and vaughn, unfortunately, is still with the spurs and is more than capable of playn 3-5 min a game to give parker a breather rather than waste a 1st rd pick on this undersized SG. So sad that we would regard our youngest position as the one with the most need. Darius Washington wasnt that bad a pg; we could have brought him back to play 7-10 min a game, of course with any young player its gonna take time, but washington had alot of the qualities that they say this guy has

[objective]

ugghhhhhhh

[T Park]

Y do we need a backup pg? Barry did pretty good handlin the duties and manu is pretty good at handlin the rock and vaughn, unfortunately, is still with the spurs and is more than capable of playn 3-5 min a game to give parker a breather rather than waste a 1st rd pick on this undersized SG. So sad that we would regard our youngest position as the one with the most need. Darius Washington wasnt that bad a pg; we could have brought him back to play 7-10 min a game, of course with any young player its gonna take time, but washington had alot of the qualities that they say this guy has


Brent Barry is not a backup point guard.

[Blackjack]

Back-up point at 26 is what I was thinking, but George Hill? I just don't understand how you could pass Chalmers for Hill.

Granted, I know little to nothing about Hill but... Everything from his size to the ?'s about him playing the 1 are pretty much identical to Chalmers.

So Chalmers plays at a big-time program, against the best competition. He wins a national championship, proving himself under the greatest of pressure. At KU none the less, from which our GM hails and....

They take George Hill of IUPUI.

Hopefully the kid works out, (damn well better) but this reeks of the Spurs trying out-smart themselves.

[jayc23]

Hes not just a rough PG, hes a slasher, a defender, he has wing span, he can shoot.. last time I checked Chalmers did not have the arsenal or potential of Hill.

[baseline bum]

Man, Chalmers must have gone and taken a shit at center court, and then wiped his ass on one of the championship banners at his workout to get passed over for whoever in the hell George Hill is.

[T Park]

Seeing as Chalmers has played shooting guard and didn't play well at point guard the last couple years supposedly, that might have had a role.

[EJK5032]

From what I read, he has Spurs written all over him. I would not be surprised if the Spurs drafted him.

big props


and the more I read about this guy the more I like the pick

[T Park]

He would have been there at 45...

No he wouldn't have.

[whitebust]

big props


and the more I read about this guy the more I like the pick

i agree the guy is seeming like a better pick the more i find out about him

[hsxvvd]

Hopefully the kid works out, (damn well better) but this reeks of the Spurs trying out-smart themselves.

x2 as has been the case for what 5 years?

[T Park]

Yeah that front office might turn out a ring maybe one day hopefully.

[objective]

I hope he works out like a miracle. I'm highly skeptical that a 6'1.25" shooting guard from a smalltime program can transform himself into a legit NBA point guard, but my fingers are crossed. His wingspan isn't working to give me pause either because that didn't help the similar sized Romain Sato in his career any.

But I also don't understand the gushing over him because he says the standard things. Wow, he called the Spurs a class organization. Holy crap, he wants to work hard. It's all a dream come true. 98% of draft picks say the same exact thing regardless.

[Blackjack]

Seeing as Chalmers has played shooting guard and didn't play well at point guard the last couple years supposedly, that might have had a role.

I only know what I've read about Hill, and it seems he and Chalmers share alot of the same ?'s.

Chalmers isn't a pure point-guard, but he's more than capable of playing the 1 in the Spurs offense. Shit, Tony isn't a pure point-guard.

Plus, Chalmers in our motion offense would excell playing off the ball like he did at KU.

I looked at Chalmers as being a young L.Hunter, with a better shot.

Look, If Hill clearly turns out to be better than Chalmers? Won't bother me one bit. It's just with all the similarities I heard, It's hard to believe that they didn't go with the guy who was tested under pressure at a big-time program.

[MaNu4Tres]

I wonder if Spurs could have traded down 5 spots and still drafted George Hill and could have recieved an extra 2nd round pick .

[dominguez14]

:nope

CAN ANYONE SAY........... ALFREDRICK HUGHES

....... THOSE WHO FORGET THE PAST ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT........


GEEES I HOPE I'M WRONG ......................

[angelbelow]

I wonder if Spurs could have traded down 5 spots and still drafted George Hill and could have recieved an extra 2nd round pick .

they probably could have, i dont think anyone had any interest in this guy in the 1st round.

[Buddy Holly]

The IUPUI junior was basically unknown nationally when he initially put his name in the draft to get first-hand feedback from the NBA. He played so well at point guard in the Orlando predraft camp in late May that a buzz began circulating. An overlooked factor that helped the 6-2 Hill was his 6-9 wingspan, which means he's long enough to guard taller players.

http://blogs.indystar.com/pacersinsider/archives/2008/06/hill_lee_going.html

[Mr. Body]

ESPN has it down as "Indiana Purdue" :lol

It is Indiana Purdue. It's a joint venture.

[Blackjack]

I wonder if Spurs could have traded down 5 spots and still drafted George Hill and could have recieved an extra 2nd round pick .

That was probably my biggest problem with taking him at 26.

We probably could have taken Arthur and still got Hill in the 2nd by trading up or buying a pick.

I think most teams had Chalmers higher than Hill and he went at 34 IIRC.

[Mr. Body]

I'm pretty sure they could have had him later.

[objective]

Just went through a ton of IUPUI highlight videos.

First, I'd venture a guess to say that Hill isn't some b-ball god who was the entire focal point of the opposing defense and his teammates were mid major garbage who he pulled with him. In those vids there's 2 other guys Montgomery and Patterson who shoot lights out from 3 in every single game. Those guys were ridiculous. Montgomery was a senior. Should he get a look?

Anyways, one thing I was impressed by was Hill's ability to dunk. He gets up for alley-oops pretty damn well for a guy who's 6-1.25 in socks. Maybe he is a Monta Ellis clone. The game highlights mostly showed Hill either shooting from distance or in close, very little showed off his driving ability or any kind of ballhandling skills.

I'm concerned about his ballhandling mostly. He's a college 2 converting to the NBA point. Will he be able to bring the ball up under pressure? Beno sure couldn't. The knock on Chalmers is the same on Hill, an undersized college 2 trying to be a point guard. Just because the guy gets assists at the pre-draft camp doesn't mean he can be a point, Khalid Reeves is the first guy that comes to mind as an undersized 2 who went to the camp and convinced Miami he was able to become a point when he sure as hell couldn't.

[rj215]

Just went through a ton of IUPUI highlight videos.

First, I'd venture a guess to say that Hill isn't some b-ball god who was the entire focal point of the opposing defense and his teammates were mid major garbage who he pulled with him. In those vids there's 2 other guys Montgomery and Patterson who shoot lights out from 3 in every single game. Those guys were ridiculous. Montgomery was a senior. Should he get a look?

Anyways, one thing I was impressed by was Hill's ability to dunk. He gets up for alley-oops pretty damn well for a guy who's 6-1.25 in socks. Maybe he is a Monta Ellis clone. The game highlights mostly showed Hill either shooting from distance or in close, very little showed off his driving ability or any kind of ballhandling skills.

I'm concerned about his ballhandling mostly. He's a college 2 converting to the NBA point. Will he be able to bring the ball up under pressure? Beno sure couldn't. The knock on Chalmers is the same on Hill, an undersized college 2 trying to be a point guard. Just because the guy gets assists at the pre-draft camp doesn't mean he can be a point, Khalid Reeves is the first guy that comes to mind as an undersized 2 who went to the camp and convinced Miami he was able to become a point when he sure as hell couldn't.


If he ends up being like Monta Ellis, this pick will be awesome but something tells me that he'll end up in Pop's doghouse and then in the NBDL. I really hope I'm wrong and he contributes next year.

[Mr. Body]

Where are the Ellis comparisons coming from? He seems nothing like Ellis.

[ChumpDumper]

I hope he ends up being able to play in the NBA.

The other two can play for the Toros.

[Kori Ellis]

I don't get why so many people hated this pick.

In Orlando he worked out against a variety of players and killed them. He has a huge wingspan (6'9) for his height. He's in great physical shape (lowest body fat in the draft?) In college, he was a bit of a combo guard ... he played the point when they need it and scored at the off guard a lot too. It's not like he's not a bad ball handler or anything. He plays hard on D - he's aggressive. He can dunk and he's only 6'2. He's a good shooter.

He's a great guy off the court. He could have gone to a bigger school (he was recruited by Florida) but he chose IUPUI to be close to family/his grandpa. After his grandfather died, he could have transfered but didn't want to bail on his commitment.

Could the Spurs have got him at 32 or something? Probably but they had the 26th pick. If the guy you want is available, you don't just pass on him because you don't want people to think you reached for him.

[Buddy Holly]

Also, dude looks straight up fucking t-o-u-g-h. Complete polar opposite of the big softie known as Beno.

http://www.iupuijags.com/images/2007/12/12/player_hill.jpg

[Buddy Holly]

Could the Spurs have got him at 32 or something? Probably but they had the 26th pick. If the guy you want is available, you don't just pass on him because you don't want people to think you reached for him.

They were probably worried LA would get a Seattle 30 pick and draft him which I believe was their plan.

[Mr. Body]

He can dunk and he's only 6'2.

Most guys that size in the league can dunk.

It's a good pick. He's a good player. It was a reach, though.

[Buddy Holly]

Most guys that size in the league can dunk.

It's a good pick. He's a good player. It was a reach, though.

There's a difference between touching the rim as the ball goes in and throwing it down in the lane over defenders and throwing down a nasty slam.

Not many 6'2 point guards can do that.

[Kori Ellis]

Most guys that size in the league can dunk.

It's a good pick. He's a good player. It was a reach, though.

:lol

You are such a Debbie Downer. That's all you picked out of my post to comment on? I get it... you think the Spurs suck at drafting. :lol

My point about dunking is that he is both athletic and can shoot.

iEb3MS8bK24

[urunobili]

I was really mad at the beginning... but now I feel i was just being ignorant... i think this is a VERY solid pick and this guy will play with poise for us and will become a solid Spur maybe even difficult to retain after his rookie contract... i have a gut feeling i'll regret cursing RC yesterday...

[Obstructed_View]

I have a gut feeling i'll regret cursing RC yesterday...

I have a feeling you'll be really happy to tell people how wrong you were if he turns out to be a good player.

[101A]

I've been to Indiana, Pennsylvania. Yes, the locals are confused, too.

ESPN has it down as "Indiana Purdue" :lol

I LIVE in Indiana, Pa; home of "Indiana University of Pennsylvania" (IUP), NOT IUPUI; different school

[Harry Callahan]

Do you guys think he could be like Rodney Stuckey (Stucky?) the guard from Detroit who was so good for them (and drafted in a similar spot). That would be a good thing.

[KidCongo]

Cavs wanted to grab him in early in the 2nd round.

[hater]

what did ppl expect?

as long as he is an upgrade over Vaughn eventually I'm cool w/it

[1Parker1]

The fact that he's a combo guard probably also helped the Spurs in their decision. If Pop goes through with his plan of resting Ginobili more in the regular season, I can see Pop playing with both Hill and Parker in the backcourt.

And quite frankly, Spurs desperately needed a backup PG, so I'm not upset about them picking one up with the 26th pick. I haven't seen/followed this Hill guy but by all accounts he seems to be a perfect fit, at least personality wise, with SA. I am surprised they took him over Chalmers, but I'm sure Pop/RC saw his defensive potential as a bigger edge over Chalmers.

[1Parker1]

Oh and I sincerely hope we never have to see Jacque Vaughn play in an important game again for the Spurs.

[easjer]

I was caught off guard by the pick, but the more I read, the more hopeful I am. Cross fingers and all (and still shocked we didn't take Chalmers) but hey, let's see what he can do.

[thispego]

Oh and I sincerely hope we never have to see Jacque Vaughn play in an important game again for the Spurs.

:lol:lol:lol yeah because it was all Jacque Vaughns fault that we didnt win the championship in 07

[Obstructed_View]

Oh and I sincerely hope we never have to see Jacque Vaughn play in an important game again for the Spurs.

If Hill pans out, Jacque Vaughn becomes the best third point guard in the league.

[SenorSpur]

I'm coming around on Hill too. I was admitedly stunned that the Rockets took Batum and then later to have the Blazers get their mitts on him too. I went back and read Hill's bio and player profile. I agree that he does seem to fit the Spurs mold.

Initially, I DID think it was a reach because I expected the Spurs to take Chalmers if he was there. Especially given the relationship between Buford and Self. In fact, I seem to remember reading somewhere, an unconfirmed report, that the Spurs informed Chalmers they would take him if he were available to them @ #26. Am I dreaming or did someone else read that too?

[SenorSpur]

If Hill pans out, Jacque Vaughn becomes the best third point guard in the league.

The less any of us see the offensively-challenged Vaughn, the better off the team will be.

[Spur-Addict]

The less any of us see the offensively-challenged Vaughn, the better off the team will be.

Good in short 2-3 minute stretches though, he gives some PGs fits.

[Obstructed_View]

The less any of us see the offensively-challenged Vaughn, the better off the team will be.

I agree for the most part. He's very effective in short stretches. Being the third point guard trims those stretches to just the right size.

[ChumpDumper]

Vaughn was initially supposed to be the third point. He's good insurance, but hopefully Hill passes him in the rotation quickly.

[SenorSpur]

Does anyone think Pop will relegate Hill to even a short stint in the D-league this season?

[ChumpDumper]

It's a possibility, but I think Pop would prefer to keep all his points active to start the season.

[urunobili]

Does anyone think Pop will relegate Hill to even a short stint in the D-league this season?

mmm thought about that.. but i have the feeling it ain't going to happen

[Darkwaters]

I was caught off guard by the pick, but the more I read, the more hopeful I am. Cross fingers and all (and still shocked we didn't take Chalmers) but hey, let's see what he can do.

I would have to concur with that comment.

[O-Factor]

Its time to quit hating on the guy and jump on the George Hill bandwagon guys.

[ChumpDumper]

We'll have to wait and see. Looks like he has the physical tools at least. Vegas is going to be great this year.

[baseline bum]

Oh and I sincerely hope we never have to see Jacque Vaughn play in an important game again for the Spurs.

Jacque was pretty good in game 6 of the 2007 Phoenix series, which is at worst the second most important game of the whole postseason (tough call between it and game 5 of the same series).

[Drom John]

Hill doesn't have to be an upgrade of Vaughn to help the Spurs, Hill has to be an upgrade of Stoudamire.

[Indazone]

I dunno, if the Spurs couldn't find room for Mahinmi and he's putting up incredible numbers in the D-League where are the Spurs going to find minutues for Hill?

[ChumpDumper]

I dunno, if the Spurs couldn't find room for Mahinmi and he's putting up incredible numbers in the D-League where are the Spurs going to find minutues for Hill?At backup point.

[Indazone]

Well hopefully he makes the team and does better than Washington last year.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

I dunno, if the Spurs couldn't find room for Mahinmi and he's putting up incredible numbers in the D-League where are the Spurs going to find minutues for Hill?

Mahinmi was too much of a project to put into the rotation last year.
Comparing last year's Mahinmi and today's Hill, Hill is more NBA ready.
Mahinmi had the competition of Thomas, Oberto, and Horry. No way a project wins a spot on the rotation with those competitors.
Hill only has to fight Vaughn, who shouldn't be much of a problem for him.

Besides, Mahinmi will have a rotation spot next year.

[ChumpDumper]

Does better than an undrafted project?

He'll do better than Aaron Brooks.

Aim high.

[Indazone]

Aaron Brooks is not high on my list of players. He is a brick a minute player. Yeah he's fast but unless he gets his speed under control he will continue to be marginal.

[tlongII]

We'll have to wait and see. Looks like he has the physical tools at least. Vegas is going to be great this year.

Or not. :lmao

[ChumpDumper]

Or not. :lmaoNo, it's going to be great. Lots of players to evaluate, four games in four days, and it's Vegas...

[ChumpDumper]

Aaron Brooks is not high on my list of players. He is a brick a minute player. Yeah he's fast but unless he gets his speed under control he will continue to be marginal.Just like Washington. Difference is the Spurs didn't guarantee his contract.

[tlongII]

No, it's going to be great. Lots of players to evaluate, four games in four days, and it's Vegas...

Okay, I'll give you that.

[SenorSpur]

Mahinmi was too much of a project to put into the rotation last year.
Comparing last year's Mahinmi and today's Hill, Hill is more NBA ready.
Mahinmi had the competition of Thomas, Oberto, and Horry. No way a project wins a spot on the rotation with those competitors.
Hill only has to fight Vaughn, who shouldn't be much of a problem for him.

Besides, Mahinmi will have a rotation spot next year.

Mahinmi needs to have a rotation spot THIS year. With Horry out of the way, I'm hopeful they'll add another big (like Najera perhaps). This team loses so much when Duncan sits the bench. To lessen the continuous workload on Duncan, this team needs Ian to contribute next season. Otherwise, the Spurs frontcourt will continue spinning its wheels with the same frontcourt rotation as it had last year.

[A.H 21-50]

Does better than an undrafted project?

He'll do better than Aaron Brooks.

Aim high.


Hill is a kind of brooks of this year

brooks was projected as a early-mid secound round pick and ending at the end of the first wich was surprising

we'll see what hill can bring to the team but fril the report he didn't look bad and we'll never know if the spurs could took him after

we also see that the spurs wants to trade up to have another pick but they can't so maybe they want to securise hill

[DAINTX]

Posted before, but nice mini-report on Hill:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/basketball/ncaa/06/10/bp.prospects/index.html

[todopedo]

hey spurstalk, im a newbie here...just wanted to say hello and that ive been a fan of this site for some time..

in any case i just wanted to drop the link the the draftexpress point guard ratings that was posted by mr bottomtooth earlier in the month in case anyone wanted to revisit it..

and i know you really cant compare midmajor schools to division one schools but from the stats alone its easy to see how hill caught the FO's attention to begin with


http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Just-by-the-Numbers--Evaluating-this-year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2919/

[objective]

Most guys that size in the league can dunk.

It's a good pick. He's a good player. It was a reach, though.

I don't want to sound like I'm gushing like a homer over his dunking ability and that surely does not a point guard make, but some perspective.

There's plenty of 6'2 players in the NBA who CAN NOT dunk in games unless they're all alone by themselves on a fast break or cherry pick. Like Tony Parker. I have almost every dunk of Parker's career on tape and none of them were ever with anyone nearby. Not even talking about dunking in traffic, I mean dunking with a trailing defender. Even slam dunk champ Nate Robinson doesn't have that many dunks in traffic, hell when he was invited to the dunk contest IIRC he didn't even have a dunk in a regular season game at that point.

And I emphasize that Hill at IUPUI wasn't just dunking on a break, he was dunking in traffic, in the halfcourt, both on his own and finishing alley-oops strong. Legit alley-oops where he got up, not weak barely get it in type soft lay-ins.

And Hill is only 6-2 in shoes. When compared to guys like Monta Ellis and Baron Davis who are dunkers in game action, without shoes measurements Hill is a full inch shorter than Ellis without shoes, and an inch and a quarter shorter than Baron Davis without shoes. Half an inch shorter than Deron Williams without shoes, and he's another guy that can dunk strong in games.

That's noteworthy athleticism regardless of what round he was picked in or how small a school he went to.

That doesn't mean that he can bring the ball up under pressure, that doesn't mean he'll make good decisions with the ball (noticibly worse A/T ratio than Chalmers), and doesn't mean he'll get over his camp-noted tendency to over dribble instead of running the offense. Those are still question marks and worthy of being cautious over him.

But to me anyway in spite of playing at small time University he sure looks from game film like he has legit NBA level athleticism.

But I'm not one of those people who go ga-ga over his wingspan, Romain Sato had an even better height to wingspan. Or by Hill's standing reach for instance, where Hill's is nothing outrageous compared to the other draft hopefuls. He's half an inch taller than Mike Taylor and has a 1.75" better wingspan but a 0.5" worse standing reach.

[BigBeezie]

Hill will work out just fine.... Wait and see.

[bigfish22]

Watch him blow up and make every other team wish they would have picked him up.

Is anyone keeping a list of all the nay-sayers on this board who have been knocking this guy? I want to use that as a reference in about 3 years.

[Mr. Body]

Watch him blow up and make every other team wish they would have picked him up.

Eh.





Let's not go overboard.

[Solid D]

I guess some of the Laker fans were sniffing around on Hill...even thinking the Lakers might trade for an early 2nd rounder to get him. According to this interview, George worked out for Boston first, then the Lakers.

http://www.clublakers.com/interview-draft-prospect-george-hill-3055.html

Interview: Draft Prospect George Hill


According to CBS Sports, the Lakers are close to getting a second-rounder from Seattle and want IUPUI guard George Hill.

http://www.clublakers.com/wp-content/uploads/george-hill-lakers-draft2.jpg

Following is an interview with draft prospect George Hill:

>> Click here to listen to the audio interview http://www.nba.com/media/pacers/hill_080609.wmv

Q: How many places have you worked out prior to this?
GH: I had Boston first, then I had the Lakers second, then I went to see Sacramento, and then Seattle, then I came back here.

Q: And when you get to go against these other guys how do you feel about your performance or how do you feel that you show you stack up to them?
GH: I’m feeling really confident, that’s what I really wanted to focus on, just staying confident, staying poised, and being humble, and I think my game is going to speak for itself.

Q: Does it help you knowing when you look around the NBA there are so many guys from smaller schools?
GH: Yeah, that gives me a lot of confidence like they all said since I was a freshman it doesn’t matter where you go, it’s how you play. I know if just play my game then I’m going to get somewhere.

Q: What kind of feedback have you gotten from teams?
GH: I’ve gotten great feedback, it’s been so much, that I just can’t (express it). It’s all in my head, but it’s been great feedback.

Q: How many more workouts are there?
GH: I have Houston, Minnesota, then I go to San Antonio, and then Dallas.

Q: How are you going to make this decision before Monday (the deadline for players that have not hired an agent to withdraw from the draft), or have you made a decision yet?
GH: No I haven’t made decision yet. I’m really going to base it on how I feel and when that time comes I think I’m going to sit down with my family and my coach and discuss that, and then I’m going to leave it to the Lord’s hands.

Q: Do you see that deadline coming and wondering what’s going to happen?
GH: You always wonder when you’re a kid you always dream about being in the NBA, so I think I just want to sit back and relax and stay calm and just see where I’m going to sit at.

Q: If you had to make a decision today, what would that decision be?
GH: I can’t make a decision like that … it’s still early. When I think the time comes I know you guys will know about it.

Q: When you think back to when you put your name into the draft, has everything, how has everything gone?
GH: It has gone tremendous. I didn’t really know what to expect when I first came in. You know, coming from a mid-major, people didn’t really know who I was but I think I turned a lot of heads and I think I had a great turnout.

Recently heard responses from the Clublakers forum:

“Mitch Kupchak has earned my trust. If he sees a player that he thinks is worth moving up to get, then he moves up to get him then I am very excited. This player George Hill had to have shown something good.” - pureuncut100

“…as much as we have hated on Mitch, he hasn’t drafted a crappy player in a while. You look at Sasha, Bynum, Ronny, Critt, all these guys can play and were still playing when much higher draft picks were at home. So I think I can safely say now that Mitch knows what he’s doing.” - Weezy

“If we move up, I don’t really want a guard, even though I’d be fine with it. I want a backup center who is athletic, strong, and defensive minded. Joey Dorsey seems like a good choice, hopefully he would get his act together. A guy like DeVon Hardin seems sweet too, even if he’s not as big as I’d like a PF/C to be.” - chug o nomics

[The George Hill]

George Hill is not a "prospect." George Hill is the future.

[Indazone]

Who is this "The George Hill" Homer?? His posting is beginning to rival KillBill's.

[Marcus Bryant]

We'll have to wait and see. Looks like he has the physical tools at least. Vegas is going to be great this year.

Right. A bit early to praise or condemn this selection. We'll see starting later next month.

[The George Hill]

Who is this "The George Hill" Homer?? His posting is beginning to rival KillBill's.

Homer is a bumbling idiot who had no reason to procreate with such a fair-skinned maiden. George Hill is greatness.

It has come to the attention of George Hill that a poster by the name of "Gorge Hill" is making his rounds among your message board. George Hill shall allow this, for imitation of George Hill is the sincerest form of flattery to George Hill. However, do not allow the opinions of Gorge Hill confuse you with the facts that The George Hill presents as The George Hill himself.

It has also come to the attention of George Hill that the poster by the name of Indazone has labeled The George Hill as a troll. This is false. No further action shall be taken at this time concerning the matter of hating on George Hill by Indazone, for Indazone has nothing better to do with its time, seeing as it itself is indeed a troll; a hater of George Hill on a George Hill message board.

[Obstructed_View]

:lol

[Spurtacus]

I don't want to sound like I'm gushing like a homer over his dunking ability and that surely does not a point guard make, but some perspective.

There's plenty of 6'2 players in the NBA who CAN NOT dunk in games unless they're all alone by themselves on a fast break or cherry pick. Like Tony Parker. I have almost every dunk of Parker's career on tape and none of them were ever with anyone nearby. Not even talking about dunking in traffic, I mean dunking with a trailing defender. Even slam dunk champ Nate Robinson doesn't have that many dunks in traffic, hell when he was invited to the dunk contest IIRC he didn't even have a dunk in a regular season game at that point.

And I emphasize that Hill at IUPUI wasn't just dunking on a break, he was dunking in traffic, in the halfcourt, both on his own and finishing alley-oops strong. Legit alley-oops where he got up, not weak barely get it in type soft lay-ins.

And Hill is only 6-2 in shoes. When compared to guys like Monta Ellis and Baron Davis who are dunkers in game action, without shoes measurements Hill is a full inch shorter than Ellis without shoes, and an inch and a quarter shorter than Baron Davis without shoes. Half an inch shorter than Deron Williams without shoes, and he's another guy that can dunk strong in games.

That's noteworthy athleticism regardless of what round he was picked in or how small a school he went to.

That doesn't mean that he can bring the ball up under pressure, that doesn't mean he'll make good decisions with the ball (noticibly worse A/T ratio than Chalmers), and doesn't mean he'll get over his camp-noted tendency to over dribble instead of running the offense. Those are still question marks and worthy of being cautious over him.

But to me anyway in spite of playing at small time University he sure looks from game film like he has legit NBA level athleticism.

But I'm not one of those people who go ga-ga over his wingspan, Romain Sato had an even better height to wingspan. Or by Hill's standing reach for instance, where Hill's is nothing outrageous compared to the other draft hopefuls. He's half an inch taller than Mike Taylor and has a 1.75" better wingspan but a 0.5" worse standing reach.


Look at the competition he was dunking on. I doubt he's going to have this dunking "game" in the NBA.

[A.H 21-50]

another good quote on him

from nba.com

George Hill – Hill is a fourth-year junior at IUPUI. One of our top scouts, Don Sicko saw him a bunch over the last few years and liked him a lot. We invited him to Orlando, and he played very well. He impressed everyone with his knowledge of the game and his ability to play the right way. Very smart player. Disregard where he came from. All the teams knew about him.

http://www.nba.com/features/NBA_Draft_2008_Blake.html

[Spurs Brazil]

Etc.
Worth more than a hill of beans: Possibly the biggest surprise of the first round of the recent NBA draft was IUPUI guard George Hill being selected by the Spurs with the 26th pick. But if that didn't happen, could Hill have ended up a Celtic? Hill was projected by many as a second-round pick and wasn't even listed among the 123 prospects in the NBA's predraft media guide. But after Hill's introductory news conference in San Antonio, his agent, Michael Whitaker, said the Celtics had promised to select Hill with the 30th pick if he was available. With Hill off the board, Boston selected New Mexico guard J.R. Giddens with its first-round pick. Despite Whitaker's claims, an NBA source said the two players on Celtics general manager Danny Ainge's wish list with the 30th pick were Giddens and swingman Bill Walker. Walker was selected in the second round with the 47th pick by Washington before his rights were traded to Boston.

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/07/13/not_one_to_simmer/?page=2','301'