Should the Spurs start Hill? Print E-mail
Written by Michael A. De Leon   
Monday, 16 November 2009 15:11

By Robby Lim

The Spurs have exactly played eight games. Coach Pop continues to experiment with his starting lineup. He has started Blair over McDyess against the Thunder and Tony Parker’s return sends Hill back to his backup role.

The Spurs big man rotation is almost clear, it would be Duncan, Dice, Blair, Bonner and in some nights Ratliff will get some time.

The backcourt rotation is a different story. The Spurs continue to lack consistent production from the shooting guard position. If Finley starts, he can provide some offense (he’s averaging 7.2 points while shooting 54% from the field in 5 starts), but he is a liability on defense. Bogans’ defensive tenacity has been admirable but his lack of consistency on the offensive end is also an issue. Mason could be the answer because he has proven in the past season he plays better when starting.

Roger Mason’s numbers last season:

mason1

Mason's numbers this season:

mason2

The point is, right now Mason is shooting horribly and is essentially playing his way out of the Spurs’ rotation.

What about Ginobili? Seems like a good idea, he’s a heck of player and should be a starter for any NBA team right? Though he could start on any NBA team, for the Spurs' purposes he is best coming off the bench to provide the needed boost when things go flat.

Which brings us to George Hill. This guy has been solid on both ends of the floor. He proved he can play the point position very well. In his two starts as the Spurs point guard, they won games against the Raptors and the Mavericks. No, I’m not saying that he should start at the PG position, Tony Parker is our starting point guard no doubt.

George Hill's numbers in this season: (notice, the dramatic improvement when plays as as starter)

hilltable

George HillBut what about starting George Hill at the two guard? Yes he would be undersized at that position at 6’2” but what he lacked on size, he can compensate with his length (6’9” wingspan).

More importantly, Hill can provide defensive tenacity and offense at the same time. He’s shooting 48% from the field, 53.3% from beyond the arc in 8 games and can attack the rim and finish.

If he’s included in the starting lineup, we could have a starting five of TD-Dyess-RJ-Tony and Hill. It’s a smaller lineup, but it’s quicker and more athletic. George Hill could provide the Spurs another player that can really create his own shot. With Parker and Jefferson also zipping to the lane, it could be a defensive headache for the other teams. That's not mention we still have Duncan at the post and McDyess' ability to hit some mid-range jumpers.

Now you might ask, if Hill starts, who’s gonna be our backup point? Manu can assume some point guard duties when Hill and Tony are both out. Other wise, Manu should slide at the two guard position with Parker or Hill manning the point.

Please leave us your thoughts and comments on if George Hill should be in the starting lineup?

Trackback(0)
Comments (18)Add Comment
.........
written by AlexC, November 16, 2009
George Hill has been playing good basketball no doubt. But I think either starting or off the bench he's going to contribute. I wouldn't mind if Hill starts but maybe more playing time will do the trick.

I believe Mason should start because that might boost his confidence and be the Mason of old.
...
written by secretchord53, November 16, 2009
Ha, I thought I was being original when I suggested that Hill start at the 2 in my recap of the Thunder game. Looks like we're all seeing the same thing...Hill needs to start. I think it would be a great move. Manu could sub in at the 7 min mark for Hill, and then Hill could sub back in for Parker at the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd as the backup PG, thus having him fill both roles.

I'm also open to having Mason, Jr. start. He's proven he can be an effective starter for us, and I think he plays with much more confidence as a starter. Also, despite his shooting woes this season, I've been really encouraged with the vast improvement he's made in his overall floor game, especially his handle.
Welcome here at PS secretchord53
written by RobbyLim, November 16, 2009
Thanks for your comment. It's always nice to hear from a fellow Spurs blogger. With all due respect do Mason, I'm standing by with Hill, this young guy has been playing with confidence and can play in the closing minutes for us.

I'd say start Mason if he can make his FG% respectable maybe around 40-45%. He has to earn Popovich trust before making such a move. But then again with Pop we'll never know!

More power to you @ http://www.spursdynasty.com and keep the comments coming! WE appreciate it here!
.....
written by -Jason-, November 16, 2009
I agree, no way right now that Mason should be starting. The idea of Hill playing alongside Parker is a good idea.

If you guys watched the game against OKC, the Spurs had their best run with Hill and TP both on the floor.
yes, Yes, YES!
written by Tim C, November 17, 2009
Absolutely, George should at least be given the chance to start for a couple of games, to see how it works. Seems as if he's the third best guard on the team, and the most versatile, since George can create a mismatch at either guard position. At some point, Pop is going to start him at the 2. My hope is sooner, rather than later.
Nice to see hear from you Tim...
written by RobbyLim, November 17, 2009
Been writing for PS for a while now. I'm glad you agreed about Hill. And the mismatch that he can create at either guard position is one the main reason for him to start.

Like you, I hope Pop starts him sooner. Better try it early rather than late in the season.

And of course, more power to you guys at http://www.poundingtherock.com
.....
written by Mark_M, November 17, 2009
With Hill's defensive skills and ability to attack the lane? There is no doubt in my mind that he should start. Mason is out of the question right now.

I agree with what Robby said, if Mason can get shooting touch back then he has a shot at the starting lineup. Otherwise Pop should try to give George a starting spot and see what happens.
san antonio spurs
written by spurts, November 17, 2009
Tim, McD, RJ, Hill, and TP can be the spurs' starting line up. And for their 2nd line up there will be Bonner, Blair, Manu, Bogans, and Mason. McD and Bonner can trade places occasionally at starting and back up bigs for Tim, Finley and Theo will be a great addition if players in the front and back court are in foul troubles.
...
written by Dan Ehrlich, November 17, 2009
Robby - you make a very good point. Hill has been impressive this season. He is proving to be yet another great pick-up by Buford & co in the draft - Remember when everyone asked "George who?" when they selected him in the draft last year?

I agree he can start next to TP. To be honest I did not even think about this possibility before, as I always kinda saw Hill as Tony's backup. I admit I didn't see the last couple of games (I wish I could have) but i've read that he played great next to Tony as a SG, so why not start him in that position?

I was actually leaning towards giving Mason a couple of starts, to see if his game elevates back to how he played last year, as I do think we'll need his clutch plays in various points this year and for that he will need to be confident. BUT, seeing that the Spurs are starting to drop home games as well as roadies now, I also think Pop should do whatever is necessary to get wins right now, and putting Hill in as a starter seem like a step towards that goal. I don't want to sound like a broken record as I already published a whole article about it, but it is essential the Spurs do not drop many more home games (like last Sat vs Thunder) over the next few home stretches, so it may not be wise to risk starting Mason at SG whilst he's in such slump and possibly dropping another couple of games.

So i'm with you on Hill starting. Let's see what Pop does...
...
written by Nicholas Breadsell, November 17, 2009
Okay i'm sorry but im going to have to go against the grain here. I dont believe Hill should start. Don't get me wrong he deserves more minutes (it's time that Finley stopped seeing over 15mpg), the thing is the coaches have groomed him into becoming a back up point gaurd with the ball in his hands.

Everyone is very high on Hill and I am one of those people. I just thinks he plays the best running and controling the second unit as a point gaurd.
First of All, Guys thanks for all the comments.
written by RobbyLim, November 17, 2009
The main reason of having Hill in the starting lineup is for the Spurs to make a strong start. The way Hill has been playing, I think he's worth a shot. Mason is another option but he's really struggling badly.

Giving more minutes to Hill could do the trick (as Alex and Nicholas suggested) and that's another way to go. But remember that Hill is actually comfortable playing the 2 spot(He played the 2 guard position in College). And atleast in the game against the Thunder, the Spurs looked good with Tony and Hill both on the floor.

This could be the antidote for us to handle a fairly favorable schedule. I'm with Dan, the Spurs should try to win as many games as they can. It's not forcing something or anything but rather trying to figure out what works as early a possible.

Most of the teams out West are having great starts, the Spurs can't put themselves into such a big hole.

Also, secretchord53 has made a good example (above) on how to manage the minutes if in case Pop decides to start Hill.

Thanks Guys for keeping the discussions here intelligent and lively. Keep the comments coming. We appreciate here at PS.
...
written by AB, November 17, 2009
Seems like the Spurs knew what they were doing when they drafted this guy, huh.If starting Mason returns him to form, lets do it, never can have too many weapons. Hill produces either way, increase his mins. will make him more effective
Spurs should bench Jefferson and start Ginobili
written by corey shaffer, November 17, 2009
The spurs should actually start Ginobili in replace of Jefferson. Ginobili came of the bench in the first place to strengthen the bench but the bench is stronger than it has been in years past so having him come of the bench is no longer neccessary. If Jefferson comes of the bench it will give him more minutes to play without maybe Parker and Duncan taking some of his shots.
...
written by Jay Olavario, November 17, 2009
TP, Mason, Bogans, McDyess and Timmy...Mason needs to start to get his confidence and rythym back. Bogans is our new version of Bruce Bowen, a smart lockdown perimeter defender that the team and Timmy need to set the defensive tone in the beginning of the ballgame. Hill, Manu and RJ seem to really play well together as was evident in the 2 games that TP and TD missed.

I say Hill should play more minutes but he should not start with TP. Doing so would defeat the purpose of grooming this guy into the back-up point guard that we are hoping he'd become. Should he play with Parker for stretches, especially in the 4th? ABSOLUTELY! But putting him in the starting line-up and then have somebody else run the show for the 2nd unit is not a good idea, since as I said, he, Manu, RJ plus Blair seem to play very well together.

Hey Guys welcome here @ ProjectSpurs
written by RobbyLim, November 17, 2009
Very interesting suggestions. When I asked if Hill to should start, I'm not saying that he will not play the PG position anymore he can switch to playing point whenever Tony is out.

The main reason is for the Spurs to be able to make good starts on both ends on the floor. A lot of you guys liked Mason to start, I also like the guy and a spot and starting lineup may give him confidence, however; his shooting percentage is unacceptable at the moment.

The idea of RJ coming of the bench instead of Manu is interesting, given how well RJ performed without TP and TD on the floor. But coming of the bench and starting are two different things.

A lot of players are having hard time getting into rhythm when coming off the bench and Manu is one of the the best (when coming off the bench) that's why the Spurs prefers him that way.

Overall, starting Hill or giving more minutes to him seems to be a good idea.

But Coach Pop is so unpredictable we'll never know what the next starting lineup will look like. We can only talk about it and try to voice out our opinions but Pop makes the final call.

Thanks for all the comments and keeping the discussions here lively! Keep them coming we appreciate here @ PS.
...
written by Dan Ehrlich, November 18, 2009
Echoing Robby's comment - all the suggestions are quite interesting and creative. I think it shows the depth of the squad this season that there are so many possibilities.

I also agree with you Robby on the starting vs. coming off the bench. I think apart frmo the stats and number crunching, there is also a psychological factor here. Regardless of the minutes played over a course of a game, starting is a psychological boost to a player. To tell someone who has started all his career to come off the bench can be a bit of a shock to the system, even if it's to the player's advantage in the long-term. Only few players can accept such a change and take out the positives, and play even better and be there for the team. Manu is the perfect example of such a player, mature enough to look much further than the mere 'starting vs. off-the-bench' issue. In the end of the day, he's a sure game finisher (when healthy). On the other extreme, we have Allen Iverson - look what happened to him in Detroit and again in Memphis. Telling AI to come off the bench is almost like telling him not to play at all.

Let's not forget that Manu always played for the Spurs in the NBA, though, so he's kinda used to the team-first ideology now. So I suppose that telling him to come off the bench a few years ago wasn't a huge deal as it would have been to a player who's been starting for years. Jefferson, on other hand, was almost always a starter on his teams over the years, and even more so as a Buck, when he was leaned to be the go-to-guy in Michael Redd's absence. So it may not be as easy for him to start coming off the bench. Not because his personality - he's clearly a good teammate and I'm sure he won't be grumbling if it happens, however I think it could still knock his confidence a little, so I'm not certain benching him is the correct thing to do - at least not yet.
OWNER
written by LAVERNA, November 18, 2009
I THINK IT IS AN EXCELLENT IDEAL
.....
written by RobbyLim, November 18, 2009
Very well said Dan, I'm happy to see guys coming in and joining the discussion. Hopefully the trend continues on our future articles here @ PS.

Again Thanks Guys!

Write comment

busy
< Prev   Next >
 

Latest Spurscast



Listen to the Spurscast on your phone:
408-538-2154

Subscribe to the Spurscast

Poll

Which Was Manu's Better Block?
 

About Bloguin

Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics.

Advertisers

The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.

Bloggers Wanted

The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site.. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.

The Bloguin Login

The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!