Draft Prospect: George Hill

[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-...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.



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]

[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, 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 compe ion 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/basketb...','301'