From Popovich’s “favorite player”, to the NBA’s most improved, George Hill is invaluable to the Spurs playoff hopes

by Jesse Blanchard

Outside of New York, perhaps no place on Earth has as rich and extensive a basketball mythology as the state of Indiana.

In perhaps one of the most famous accounts, the film “Hoosiers”, before a tournament game fictional Hickory high school coach Norman Dale has his players measure off the height of a rim and the distance of the foul line at 10 and 15 feet.

Regardless of atmosphere or circumstance, basketball is a game played within the confines of the same measurements (give or take a few variances depending on the league). It is the players themselves that shrink or grow in the moment.

When San Antonio Spurs point guard George Hill (an Indiana native) returns to the American Airlines Center for the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the court and its dimensions will remain as they were in last year’s playoffs. It will be George Hill who has changed.

At this time a year ago, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich proclaimed Hill not quite ready for the playoffs, having seen the then rookie guard out of IUPUI’s confidence fluctuating. As Popovich told Jeff McDonald of the Express-News:

“Playoffs is a time for people who feel very confident about what they’re doing, and George isn’t in that category yet. He needs more time.”

Given a summer and list of things to improve upon, Hill spent hours in the gym honing his skills in preparation for this-an opportunity to prove himself in a playoff rematch with the Dallas Mavericks.

“Not really getting a chance to prove myself last year, that put a fuel to my fire in the summertime,” Hill said. “I wanted to come back a whole new player.”

Hill returned to his teammates in training camp as quite possibly the NBA’s most improved player this season.

There are players whose increased minutes and shot attempts (Aaron Brooks) led to larger production, and young All-Stars (Kevin Durant) whose natural development brought them to superstar status, but perhaps no player refined and developed his skill set more than Hill.

Shooting

The top priority on George Hill’s summertime list was shooting. For all the defensive versatility and athleticism Hill brought to the court, it was offset by an inability to convert on open shots-a requisite skill for anyone hoping to log heavy minutes next to Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

“He was a scorer more than a shooter but he and (Spurs assistant coach Chip Engelland) have worked hard at it,” Popovich said. “He’s put in the time and now he’s become quite good at it.”

It would appear, more so than Richard Jefferson or Antonio McDyess, that the biggest story of the offseason was the acquisition of George Hill’s jump shot. Something I’ve previously noted:

“Oh, what wonders one summer with Chip Engelland can do. It may be a small sample size, but judging by the blistering shooting percentages, George Hill can shoot. From deep. Especially from the corner. Now, a lot of attention will be paid to his development as a point guard, and rightfully so. Hill finally looks comfortable there. But the most important development for him, so far as his future with the Spurs is concerned, is his jump shot.

You see, if Hill is to carve out more than cameo appearances in meaningful games it will have to be as more than a backup point guard because there’s no way you’re limiting Tony Parker’s minutes come Spring and Summer. So if Hill is going to be an impact as a Spurs player he needs to be able to play beside Parker rather than replacing him. For years the only prerequisite for that, at least offensively, is the corner three.”

George Hill has hit that corner three-pointer, with a few sprinkled in from other locations, to the tune of 40 percent, which is a drastic improvement from the 33 percent he shot last season.

And it’s not just the stand-still three pointer. Hill has developed an assortment of shots-floaters, pull-ups off the dribble, coming off screens-that have opened entirely new possibilities to his game. According to Hoopdata.com, George Hill has dramatically increased his efficiency from every spot on the court.

“I always saw a lot of potential in him,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “So when I saw him come in this year being more aggressive and a lot more reliable with those shots, it was a great surprise.”

Defense

In a way, the addition of George Hill as an offensive threat has bolstered the Spurs defense. No longer a liability on offense, Hill is now able to play extended minutes (from roughly 17 a game last year to 30 this year), which is important for San Antonio as he is possibly their best and most versatile defender.

A year ago, Hill’s defense was more versatile than dominating. While not truly a defensive force, he proved capable at guarding multiple positions. While still crossmatched onto the opponents premiere perimeter player many nights this year, Hill’s defense has grown more consistent. Especially at the point guard slot, where ESPN’s John Hollinger has George Hill ranked as the second best defensive point guard in the league:

He’s a combo guard who owns freakishly long arms that he’s learning to use to great effect at the defensive end, but Hill’s numbers suffer a bit because he was so often used as a stopper at the 2. He can defend that spot capably but at 6-3 gives up some inches.

It’s at the 1 where Hill is a real defensive force, which is one reason San Antonio has held up so well in Tony Parker‘s absence.

George Hill has had several signature moments throughout this season, like when he recorded five steals and stifled Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks in the second half of a win over Houston. Or his defensive gem over Chris Paul that prompted Jeff McDonald of the Express-News to write:

If there was still doubt about whether Hill belonged in the NBA — and there wasn’t — his performance Monday answered it. Thrust into the starting lineup with Richard Jefferson ailing, Hill scored 16 points in the Spurs’ 97-90 victory over the Hornets, a number secondary to the unquantifiable damage he wreaked defending Paul.

That damage mostly goes unquantifiable, with the Spurs molding Hill in the image of Bruce Bowen-a sound defender who is more concerned with making an opponent work than gambling for steals.

“Good defenders and people who get steals are not always synonymous, they’re two different things,” Popovich said. “Some steal guys are poor defenders as far as team defense because they’re rogue defenders.

“His steals come mostly out of being a basically sound defender,” Popovich added. “He’ll have those nights because of his length, arms and instincts, but I don’t think of him like a steals guy like you think of Chris Paul of Allen Iverson.”

Point Guard

A starter for defensive purposes, Popovich has been mindful to keep Hill paired at nearly all times with either Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili, keeping the playmaking burdens out of Hill’s hands while he adjusts to a point guard position he has never played before.

Hill has increased his scoring average from 5.7 to 12.4 ppg, but is assisted on 53 percent of his baskets with only a slight uptick in assists (1.8 to 2.9). This suggests that while an improved overall game, Hill still struggles to create shots for himself or teammates.

Something that is explained by Hill’s lack of experience with the ball in his hands.

“He’s getting better and better at playing the pick and roll and doing some things off the dribble for himself and his teammates, but it’s been an education for him ever since we started summer league two years ago,” Popovich explained. “He wasn’t a point guard, so all the nuances of pick and roll and what’s available is an experience that will take more time for him to perfect.

“So when you watch him play you see a little ‘one’ and a little ‘two’, he’s definitely a combo guard.”

That’s not to say Hill hasn’t made strides in this area. Ginobili, who works with Hill on reading certain defenses, points out how quickly Hill has picked up on things like what to do when defenses blitz the pick and roll, forcing the ball handler away from the action.

Where before Hill only looked for the roller or made a harmless pass to the wing, Ginobili says Hill now looks to the weak side, which is usually open.

“Every time I see something, I don’t want to be a pain in the ass, but I try and communicate it with him,” Ginobili said. “He’s a great kid and he listens a lot.”

Last season, George Hill’s confidence fluctuated with his changing roles. Now given an opportunity to log heavy minutes, Ginobili expects his teammates game and confidence to grow here as well.

“It’s about maturity and confidence. The fact that he knows he’s going to play 40 minutes now, it really changes your head,” Ginobili said. “If you screw up a couple times, you know you’re going to have another chance, so you play more freely-that’s when it turned for me.”