Hill Making Most of His Opportunites
By Christopher Mongelli December 27, 2009Now
approximately a third of the way through the NBA season, it seems appropriate
to address just where the Knicks are finding themselves these days. They’ve won
7 of their last 10 games, and seem to be on a roll. Standing at 10-17, they’re
currently in third place in the Atlantic division, which has been dominated by
the Celtics, the only team with a winning record in the division.
So with
their recent success, why are the Knicks still dogged around the League? Part
of the problem, as it has been all year, is their roster. Coach D’Antoni seems
to be getting a real kick out of shaking up the lineup on a semi-weekly basis. With
Nate Robinson indefinitely benched, the Knicks only have three true guards
active right now. What does this mean? Well, for one, it means they have an
extremely frontcourt-heavy roster. That frontcourt features everyone from
three-happy forwards, to veteran journey men, and banged-up big men. The somewhat perplexing mid-December
signing of Jonathan Bender only further exacerbates their clogged bench.
So where
does this leave first-round draft pick Jordan Hill? Despite a lack of
disciplinary disputes, he’s finding himself in the same boat as Robinson,
having not played the last 8 games. His development…we would say it’s being stunted as a result, but we
haven’t seen him play in roughly two weeks, so we can’t even say that. All
considered, the numbers don’t seem to add up. Hill is shooting over .500 and
has the third best field goal percentage on the team in his limited playing
time. He’s scored in every game since his first (in which he only played 2
minutes), and stands out as someone who puts his all into every game on an
erratic, occasionally sluggish Knicks team. He’s been a bolt of energy and a
breath of fresh air whenever he hits the floor. While he might not yet have the full size to bang down low
for a full-game, he’s battled to establish himself as an avid fighter for
boards, a legitimate offensive threat, and occasionally, a potent shot-blocker.
At the
end of the day, it seems pretty simple: the Knicks need to do something with
their roster. They have way too many guys who aren’t getting enough time, and
don’t seem to have intentions of giving them any time. As for Jordan Hill?
We’ll have to wait and see. Whatever happens, he’ll be sure to make the most of
his time on the floor, as he’s proven all season long.