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George Hill (basketball)
Encyclopedia
George Jesse Hill, Jr. is an American
professional basketball
player for the Indiana Pacers
of the NBA
. While playing for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
(IUPUI) he received many honors, including Summit League 'Player of the Year' and was an 'Honorable Mention All-American' his junior season. He was selected 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft
.
, Indiana
, Hill looked up to players like Michael Jordan
while dreaming of one day playing in the NBA; when asked about his goal of becoming a first-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
, Hill commented: "It's my childhood dream". An only child, Hill attended Broad Ripple High School
where he excelled as one of the top high school players in the state and formed part of the 'Magnificent Seven' from Indianapolis (Greg Oden
, Mike Conley, Jr.
, Josh McRoberts
, Rodney Carney
, Eric Gordon
, & Courtney Lee
). Carney remembers playing against Hill : "This little kid comes in hitting all kinds of 3s, and I was like, 'Who is this little dude?...I knew he was going to be something when I saw this little skinny kid handling the ball and shooting like that." Hill played against every member of the 'Magnificent Seven' except for Gordon who was recovering from a broken wrist during their meetup. He faced off against Oden and Conley during his Junior year in High School, and remembers playing pickup-games
against 10 year old Gordon when he was 13.
In high school, despite only having played soccer as a youth at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, Hill was asked to try out for the goalie position and finished earning all-state honors. In his senior year, Hill averaged a state-leading 36.2 points per game, the fifth-highest single-season-average in Indiana High School Athletic Association
history.
Despite receiving scholarship offers from several big conference schools including Temple
and Indiana
, he chose to commit to IUPUI
, wishing to stay with his ailing great-grandfather, Gilbert Edison. A few months after he verbally agreed to attend IUPUI, his great-grandfather died, never getting the opportunity to see Hill play basketball at the college level. Following the advice of his great-grandfather, who told him to always be 'a man of his word', he decided to pass on other offers and stay at IUPUI.
In his sophomore year, he led the IUPUI Jaguars
to a tie for the best record in the conference.
Following an injury that forced him to become a red-shirt
in his third year at IUPUI, Hill returned the next season and led the Jaguars to a school-record 26 wins and the Summit League Tournament finals before losing to eventual champion Oral Roberts University
and thus failing to secure a spot in the NCAA
tournament.
Not counting Hill's injury-shortened 2006–07 season, the Jaguars were 61–30 during his three seasons at IUPUI.
. He left IUPUI as the fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,619 points, and became the second IUPUI player to declare early.
Although he had regularly attracted NBA scouts to his college games, he was not projected in most mock drafts largely due to remaining unannounced.
In the following months, Hill worked out with several NBA teams. After an impressive run at the Orlando pre-draft rookie camp, Hill attracted attention and became a projected second-round selection. On draft night, the San Antonio Spurs
surprised many by selecting George Hill with their 26th pick in the first round; many had San Antonio selecting Mario Chalmers
of Kansas
.
Hill became the second first-round draft choice in The Summit League's history and the first player ever drafted from IUPUI
. On September 23, 2008, the Spurs signed Hill to a standard rookie contract that guaranteed the first two years, and included a team option on the next two years.
On July 14, 2008, in his first summer league game as a Spur, George Hill scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while holding fellow draft pick O. J. Mayo
to 5-of-17 shooting en route to a victory for the Spurs. Throughout the summer league Hill struggled with his shooting, making only 2 of 25 shots (8.0%), and one of six three-pointers (16.7%). Hill played in all but one of the four summer league games for the Spurs; he finished averaging 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 31.7 minutes per game.
Rocky Mountain Revue
At the Utah Revue, Hill led his team by averaging 12.9 points over four games; however he continued to struggle offensively with his shooting, only making 21.4% of his three-point field goals.
In the first of the four games, Hill led all scorers with 21 points and helped the Spurs defeat the Utah Jazz
, 82–57. He followed up with a quiet offensive performance, 6 points, in a win against the NBDL Ambassadors, before scoring 18 points in a loss versus the Gerald Green
-led Mavericks
. In the final game of the Revue, Hill once again struggled with his shooting (1–7) but managed to make key plays with the game on the line. Hill made two clutch free throws with 6.9 seconds left and then forced a turnover on the defensive end to beat the previously undefeated Atlanta Hawks
.
and made his NBA debut on November 4 against the Dallas Mavericks
in the third game of the seasons. He had sat out the previous two games due to a sprained left-thumb. In 15 minutes of play, Hill finished with 11 points, 1 steal, and 1 assist. Hill initially served as the main reserve at point guard, however after NBA leading scorer Tony Parker
suffered an injury early in the season he was promoted to starter. After the return of Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker, Hill received fewer minutes. He finished his rookie season averaging 5.7 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game. Hill made his playoff debut in game 2 of the Spurs first-round series against the Mavs, but he only played 5 minutes.
, he focused on developing his corner three-point shot. By the time training camp arrived, Hill had converted 8000 threes.
His hard work during the off-season paid large dividends as soon as the 2009-2010 season commenced. Hill saw his minutes increase from 16.5min to 29min a game. He also started in 43 games, most of it occurring while Spurs starting point guard, Tony Parker, was battling injuries. Hill more than doubled his scoring average, improved his field goal percentage by 7.5 percentage points, and his 3-pt shooting by 7.9 percentage points. On April 1, Hill notched career highs of 30 points, 5 steals, and 7 assists in a home game win against the Houston Rockets. Hill ended the regular season tied at second place with Kevin Durant and Marc Gasol for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. All three garnered a total of 101 points.
The Spurs' first round playoff series with the Mavs was a breakout series for Hill. He was ineffective in Game 1, scoring 0 points in 17 minutes after coming back from an ankle injury. He shook off his tentativeness in the next few games, scoring 7 and 17 points in Games 2 and 3. Then, Hill led the Spurs to a Game 4 victory on a night when the Spurs' Big Three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili shot a combined 9-of-34 from the field. Hill scored a career playoff high 29 points, shooting 11-16 from the field and 5-6 from downtown. Hill averaged 22.3 points in the series, helping the Spurs to win the series in six games.
. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers during the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23, 2011.
, ESPN
reported that Hill possessed a 6'9" wingspan
and only 3% body fat. Hill's athleticism, length, and strength are among his greatest assets; going into the NBA his defense was described as being "NBA-ready" but still needing to improve offensively.
In a media interview Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich
commented,"(Hill) does a little bit of everything, the great thing about him is that he's a very good all around basketball player, he's a tenacious defender, he can score, he can run, he's a good passer, he knows how to play and he's really a team guy".
When asked on multiple occasions which current NBA player he most resembled, Hill responded by picking Monta Ellis
, adding that he sees himself as a combo guard and an energy player who enjoys playing defense and getting into the passing lanes.
Despite spending most of his college time at the shooting guard position, at only 6'2" Hill was selected to back up All-Star Tony Parker
at point guard
.
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 77 || 7 || 16.5 || .403 || .329 || .781 || 2.1 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 78 || 43 || 29.2 || .478 || .399 || .772 || 2.6 || 2.9 || .9 || .3 || 12.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 76 || 5 || 28.3 || .453 || .377 || .863 || 2.6 || 2.5 || .9 || .3 || 11.6
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 231 || 55 || 24.6 || .453 || .378 || .812 || 2.4 || 2.4 || .8 || .3 || 9.9
| align="left" | 2009
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 4 || 0 || 19.0 || .333 || .375 || .857 || 2.0 || .5 || .5 || .2 || 5.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 10 || 8 || 34.4 || .451 || .379 || .838 || 3.1 || .7 || 1.0 || .2 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 2011
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 6 || 1 || 31.5 || .400 || .267 || .867|| 5.0 || 2.3 || 1.5 || .3 || 11.7
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 20 || 9 || 30.4 || .422 || .346 || .851 || 3.5 || 1.1 || 1.0 || .2 || 11.3
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for the Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
of the NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. While playing for Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indiana University is the managing partner...
(IUPUI) he received many honors, including Summit League 'Player of the Year' and was an 'Honorable Mention All-American' his junior season. He was selected 26th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
.
Early life
Born and raised in IndianapolisIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Hill looked up to players like Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
while dreaming of one day playing in the NBA; when asked about his goal of becoming a first-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, Hill commented: "It's my childhood dream". An only child, Hill attended Broad Ripple High School
Broad Ripple High School
Broad Ripple Magnet High School for the Arts & Humanities, established in 1886, is a magnet school of the Indianapolis Public Schools.-History:...
where he excelled as one of the top high school players in the state and formed part of the 'Magnificent Seven' from Indianapolis (Greg Oden
Greg Oden
Gregory Wayne Oden, Jr. is an American basketball player at the center position. Oden is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA....
, Mike Conley, Jr.
Mike Conley, Jr.
Michael Alex "Mike" Conley, Jr. is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.Conley is the son of Olympic gold and silver medalist triple jumper Mike Conley, Sr...
, Josh McRoberts
Josh McRoberts
Joshua Scott McRoberts is an American professional basketball player who last played for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 37th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft...
, Rodney Carney
Rodney Carney
Rodney Dion Carney is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Memphis and was selected in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls and shortly afterwards traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.-Early college career:Carney made the Conference USA...
, Eric Gordon
Eric Gordon
Eric Ambrose Gordon, Jr. , nicknamed "EJ", is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA. In high school, he was named "Mr. Basketball" of Indiana during his senior year while playing at North Central High School...
, & Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee
Courtney Lee is an American basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the NBA. He was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 22nd pick overall in the 2008 NBA Draft...
). Carney remembers playing against Hill : "This little kid comes in hitting all kinds of 3s, and I was like, 'Who is this little dude?...I knew he was going to be something when I saw this little skinny kid handling the ball and shooting like that." Hill played against every member of the 'Magnificent Seven' except for Gordon who was recovering from a broken wrist during their meetup. He faced off against Oden and Conley during his Junior year in High School, and remembers playing pickup-games
Streetball
Streetball or street basketball is a variation of the sport of basketball, typically played on outdoor courts and featuring significantly less by way of formal structure and enforcement of the game's rules...
against 10 year old Gordon when he was 13.
In high school, despite only having played soccer as a youth at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church, Hill was asked to try out for the goalie position and finished earning all-state honors. In his senior year, Hill averaged a state-leading 36.2 points per game, the fifth-highest single-season-average in Indiana High School Athletic Association
Indiana High School Athletic Association
The Indiana High School Athletic Association is the arbiter of interscholastic competition among public and private high schools in the State of Indiana. It monitors a system that divides athletically-competing high schools in Indiana based on the school's enrollment. The divisions, known as...
history.
College career
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
and Indiana
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, he chose to commit to IUPUI
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indiana University is the managing partner...
, wishing to stay with his ailing great-grandfather, Gilbert Edison. A few months after he verbally agreed to attend IUPUI, his great-grandfather died, never getting the opportunity to see Hill play basketball at the college level. Following the advice of his great-grandfather, who told him to always be 'a man of his word', he decided to pass on other offers and stay at IUPUI.
In his sophomore year, he led the IUPUI Jaguars
IUPUI Jaguars
The IUPUI Jaguars are the 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. IUPUI competes in The Summit League in all sports.-History:...
to a tie for the best record in the conference.
Following an injury that forced him to become a red-shirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in his third year at IUPUI, Hill returned the next season and led the Jaguars to a school-record 26 wins and the Summit League Tournament finals before losing to eventual champion Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University , based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States, is an interdenominational, Charismatic Christian, comprehensive university with an enrollment of about 3,790 students from 49 U.S. states along with a significant number of international students from 70 countries...
and thus failing to secure a spot in the NCAA
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
tournament.
Not counting Hill's injury-shortened 2006–07 season, the Jaguars were 61–30 during his three seasons at IUPUI.
Draft
Despite having one year of eligibility left, Hill, wishing to "test the waters", declared himself eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
. He left IUPUI as the fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,619 points, and became the second IUPUI player to declare early.
Although he had regularly attracted NBA scouts to his college games, he was not projected in most mock drafts largely due to remaining unannounced.
In the following months, Hill worked out with several NBA teams. After an impressive run at the Orlando pre-draft rookie camp, Hill attracted attention and became a projected second-round selection. On draft night, the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
surprised many by selecting George Hill with their 26th pick in the first round; many had San Antonio selecting Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers
Almario Vernard "Mario" Chalmers is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA. He was selected 34th overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves...
of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
.
Hill became the second first-round draft choice in The Summit League's history and the first player ever drafted from IUPUI
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indiana University is the managing partner...
. On September 23, 2008, the Spurs signed Hill to a standard rookie contract that guaranteed the first two years, and included a team option on the next two years.
Summer League 2008
Las VegasOn July 14, 2008, in his first summer league game as a Spur, George Hill scored 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds while holding fellow draft pick O. J. Mayo
O. J. Mayo
Ovinton J'Anthony "O. J." Mayo , is an American basketball player currently playing with the Memphis Grizzlies of the NBA. He signed with the team on July 8, 2008. He played college basketball for the University of Southern California...
to 5-of-17 shooting en route to a victory for the Spurs. Throughout the summer league Hill struggled with his shooting, making only 2 of 25 shots (8.0%), and one of six three-pointers (16.7%). Hill played in all but one of the four summer league games for the Spurs; he finished averaging 8.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 31.7 minutes per game.
Rocky Mountain Revue
At the Utah Revue, Hill led his team by averaging 12.9 points over four games; however he continued to struggle offensively with his shooting, only making 21.4% of his three-point field goals.
In the first of the four games, Hill led all scorers with 21 points and helped the Spurs defeat the Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, 82–57. He followed up with a quiet offensive performance, 6 points, in a win against the NBDL Ambassadors, before scoring 18 points in a loss versus the Gerald Green
Gerald Green
Gerald Green, Jr. is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Foshan Dralions of the CBA. He was selected by the National Basketball Association's Boston Celtics with the 18th pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA Draft...
-led Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
. In the final game of the Revue, Hill once again struggled with his shooting (1–7) but managed to make key plays with the game on the line. Hill made two clutch free throws with 6.9 seconds left and then forced a turnover on the defensive end to beat the previously undefeated Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
.
2008–2009
In 2008, Hill joined the San Antonio SpursSan Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
and made his NBA debut on November 4 against the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
in the third game of the seasons. He had sat out the previous two games due to a sprained left-thumb. In 15 minutes of play, Hill finished with 11 points, 1 steal, and 1 assist. Hill initially served as the main reserve at point guard, however after NBA leading scorer Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
suffered an injury early in the season he was promoted to starter. After the return of Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker, Hill received fewer minutes. He finished his rookie season averaging 5.7 points per game, 2.1 rebounds per game, and 1.8 assists per game. Hill made his playoff debut in game 2 of the Spurs first-round series against the Mavs, but he only played 5 minutes.
2009–2010
Hill spent most of his off-season working on his point-guard skills, supervised by player development coach Chad Forcier, and his jump shots with Spurs shooting coach Chip Engelland. Following the advice of former Spur Bruce BowenBruce Bowen
Bruce Bowen Jr. is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6'7", 200-lb. Bowen played small forward and graduated from Edison High School and Cal State Fullerton...
, he focused on developing his corner three-point shot. By the time training camp arrived, Hill had converted 8000 threes.
His hard work during the off-season paid large dividends as soon as the 2009-2010 season commenced. Hill saw his minutes increase from 16.5min to 29min a game. He also started in 43 games, most of it occurring while Spurs starting point guard, Tony Parker, was battling injuries. Hill more than doubled his scoring average, improved his field goal percentage by 7.5 percentage points, and his 3-pt shooting by 7.9 percentage points. On April 1, Hill notched career highs of 30 points, 5 steals, and 7 assists in a home game win against the Houston Rockets. Hill ended the regular season tied at second place with Kevin Durant and Marc Gasol for the Most Improved Player of the Year award. All three garnered a total of 101 points.
The Spurs' first round playoff series with the Mavs was a breakout series for Hill. He was ineffective in Game 1, scoring 0 points in 17 minutes after coming back from an ankle injury. He shook off his tentativeness in the next few games, scoring 7 and 17 points in Games 2 and 3. Then, Hill led the Spurs to a Game 4 victory on a night when the Spurs' Big Three of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili shot a combined 9-of-34 from the field. Hill scored a career playoff high 29 points, shooting 11-16 from the field and 5-6 from downtown. Hill averaged 22.3 points in the series, helping the Spurs to win the series in six games.
2010–2011
March 28, 2011 Hill matched his career-high of 30 points during a 114-119 away game loss against the Houston RocketsHouston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
. He was traded to the Indiana Pacers during the 2011 NBA Draft on June 23, 2011.
Player profile
On draft day2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that Hill possessed a 6'9" wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
and only 3% body fat. Hill's athleticism, length, and strength are among his greatest assets; going into the NBA his defense was described as being "NBA-ready" but still needing to improve offensively.
In a media interview Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
commented,"(Hill) does a little bit of everything, the great thing about him is that he's a very good all around basketball player, he's a tenacious defender, he can score, he can run, he's a good passer, he knows how to play and he's really a team guy".
When asked on multiple occasions which current NBA player he most resembled, Hill responded by picking Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis
Monta Ellis is an American professional basketball player who plays the shooting guard and point guard positions for the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. Ellis entered the 2005 NBA Draft after graduating from Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, and the Warriors drafted him in the second...
, adding that he sees himself as a combo guard and an energy player who enjoys playing defense and getting into the passing lanes.
Despite spending most of his college time at the shooting guard position, at only 6'2" Hill was selected to back up All-Star Tony Parker
Tony Parker
William Anthony "Tony" Parker is a French professional basketball player who currently plays for the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA....
at point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
.
Statistics
| |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | IUPUI Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis is an urban campus of Indiana University and Purdue University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Indiana University is the managing partner... |
29 | 21 | 28.4 | 52.3 | 41.2 | 70.9 | 4.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 10.7 |
| 2005–06 | IUPUI | 29 | 29 | 35.1 | 51.8 | 32.0 | 79.8 | 6.0 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 18.9 |
| 2006–07 | IUPUI | 5 | 5 | 28.4 | 50.9 | 30.8 | 65.2 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 14.6 |
| 2007–08 | IUPUI | 32 | 32 | 36.8 | 54.5 | 45.0 | 81.2 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 21.5 |
| Totals | IUPUI | 95 | 87 | 33.3 | 52.9 | 40.4 | 78.5 | 5.8 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 17.0 |
Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 77 || 7 || 16.5 || .403 || .329 || .781 || 2.1 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 78 || 43 || 29.2 || .478 || .399 || .772 || 2.6 || 2.9 || .9 || .3 || 12.4
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 76 || 5 || 28.3 || .453 || .377 || .863 || 2.6 || 2.5 || .9 || .3 || 11.6
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 231 || 55 || 24.6 || .453 || .378 || .812 || 2.4 || 2.4 || .8 || .3 || 9.9
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2009
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | San Antonio
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
| 4 || 0 || 19.0 || .333 || .375 || .857 || 2.0 || .5 || .5 || .2 || 5.8
|-
| align="left" | 2010
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 10 || 8 || 34.4 || .451 || .379 || .838 || 3.1 || .7 || 1.0 || .2 || 13.4
|-
| align="left" | 2011
2011 NBA Playoffs
The 2011 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2010–11 season. Eight teams from each of the league's two conferences qualified for the playoffs, all seeded 1 to 8 in a tournament bracket, with all rounds in a best-of-seven format. The 2011 NBA Playoffs began on...
| align="left" | San Antonio
| 6 || 1 || 31.5 || .400 || .267 || .867|| 5.0 || 2.3 || 1.5 || .3 || 11.7
|-class="sortbottom"
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 20 || 9 || 30.4 || .422 || .346 || .851 || 3.5 || 1.1 || 1.0 || .2 || 11.3
External links
- IUPUI.edu - Jaguars Spirit section dedicated to George Hill
- NBA.com - NBA Profile
- DraftExpress.com - Draft Profile