Hill Fitting in with Knicks
By Christopher Mongelli November 16, 2009Exclusively provided by CurvSports.com
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For just a
minute, forget about LeBron James and the 2010 free agency class. There’s
another story bubbling under the surface that’s bound to make Knick fans happy right now. The eighth overall pick in
last year’s draft, Jordan Hill is beginning to make some noise, and Knick fans
in the know are starting to listen. Hill is a 6’ 10” power forward out of the
University of Arizona. There, he showed remarkably swift development during his
first two years, and emerged as a premiere big man in his final year of college
ball. He made first-team all-Pac-10 and was also named to the Pac-10
all-defensive team, garnering serious NBA interest.
After draft day dramatics and a
significant payday, Hill now finds himself playing with the big boys, and has
been trying to find his own way. He fared well in the NBA Summer League,
averaging 14.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game in only five games. He is
positioned in a crowded Knicks frontcourt along with Al Harrington, Jared
Jeffries, David Lee, and Darko Milicic. Hill will have to battle for consistent
minutes given the circumstances, and has only seen action in three of New
York’s first eight games. Nevertheless, he’s proved himself determined to make
the most of his playing time.
On November 6th, in a close loss to
Cleveland, Hill recorded his first professional points. Known primarily as a
hard-nosed defensive force, he surprisingly shone offensively, going 3-for-5
from the field with 6 points in only five minutes on the floor. The following
night, he earned his first significant minutes against Milwaukee. He scored 7
points in 13 minutes, tacking on 3 steals and a block for good measure. Hill is
obviously looking to make an impact and earn more minutes. If his recent
performance is any indicator, he has positioned himself well to do so.
The
Knicks know they have a powerful emerging talent in Hill, and an enticing
bargaining chip if their bench gets too crowded as the season wears on. As a
youthful player with notable offensive upside, Hill should look forward to a
progressive increase in playing time in Coach Mike D’Antonio’s fast-paced,
high-powered offense. And with such a plethora of talent, Knick fans should
look forward to seeing more of this budding inside force in-the-making, and his
development as a pro as he begins to earn some real playing time.
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