CrushAlot wrote:Hill's situation was handled horribly. The guy couldn't get any minutes on a 29 win team that came out of training camp 1-9. Not sure what the philosophy was regarding playing Hill but playing the old vets on expiring contracts over your lottery pick to the point where the guy racked up a ton of dnps coaches decision was ridiculous. Having to send him and a future first round pick along with Jeffries to cut salary was just dumb. Even if the plan was to move Hill for cap space not playing him on a team that was that bad was ridiculous. I remember Shane Battier being interviewed about Hill when he got traded to the Rockets. He said it was like he had not been prepared to play in the nba at all in NY. It is ironic that the bad rookie is excelling playing for D'Antoni.
I don't think it's as simple as you're making it out to be.
4. Jordan Hill: Hill’s most impressive attribute is his size. He possess legit NBA length and has a solid frame and base which he can add muscle too. But the word most commonly associated with Hill during summer league action in Las Vegas was "raw." And that is not a good thing, considering he has three seasons in college under his belt. Still, although his shot wasn’t falling in Vegas, he wasn’t afraid to fire away, and that confidence in his offensive game is encouraging. However, Hill tended to fade away from the basket, instead of going straight up and drawing contact. He should use that size to attack the bucket and get to the stripe. Hill had moments where he showed signs of promise and potential, but didn’t look quite ready to handle significant responsibility or playing time during the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Read more at http://www.hoopsworld.com/new-york-knicks-2009-2010-preview#RW8AkfAZpJXGr1xB.99
MDA and Hill were in bad situations really. When things are going bad often times coaches press and playing a rookie that has proven nothing to you from summer league thru training camp isn't really the guy you're going to tap on the shoulder to play. MDA doesn't dislike Hill and never did. The kid just wasn't ready at that time and it was a very tense time to be on a Knicks roster.
Also Shane's comments are really stupid. How could he know what the Knicks did or did not try to teach Hill in SL or Training Camp? How much of Hill's issues were of his own making? One thing we've learned about MDA is that he will play guys that know how to play team ball and give effort. It's easy to look at Hill NOW and see him as a mature player versus what MDA saw from him as a rookie. It's a different situation now. Now when MDA puts him in his system the kid is fully able to take advantage of that opportunity. MDA has a GREAT record of getting the most out of his players with the exception of his time in NY where he was undermined and never really given what he needed to win. All he needed was a half decent PG and he would've had success in NY.
Hill Fails To Impress (& Knick Tidbits)
BY MIKE KURYLO - PUBLISHED: 10/23/2009 Knick fans that hoped the 2009 #8 pick would pay immediate dividends are going to be disappointed. Mike D’Antoni said Jordan Hill “got a ways to go” with regards to being NBA ready. A quote like this would be expected if New York grabbed a teenager from Europe like Ricky Rubio or Brandon Jennings. But Jordan Hill is 22, and spent 3 years in Arizona. Shouldn’t he be ready to contribute to the NBA now?
Perhaps I’ve been spoiled by the Knicks recent power forward draftees. Channing Frye, like Hill, was 22 year old #8 overall pick from Arizona and managed an 18.1 PER in 1500+ minutes his first season. David Lee, taken in the same draft, had a 15.4 PER in 1100+ minutes that same year. The 9th overall pick in 2003, Mike Sweetney, was buried on the IR due to incompetent management. But he still was able to perform on an NBA level with a 17.2 PER his first season. Even Nene Hillario who was traded by the Knicks on draft day put up a PER of 15.4 in 2200+ minutes as a 20 year old rookie for Denver.
Hill’s defenders say he started playing basketball late, and that he’s still learning the game. But 2010 is a win now year, with the Knicks not owning their own pick in the upcoming draft. And Walsh didn’t really seem interested in spending money this summer to improve his team, even on his own players. The only trade they made this summer was for a backup center in Darko Milicic. So with no other avenues to improve the team now why would the Knicks take a player who was a project? Surely there was someone that was more ready to contribute this season (Blair seems the part, and Lawson had a nice preseason). Perhaps Walsh didn’t mind taking someone unpolished, but then he should have aimed for someone that was younger or had a bigger upside.
It sounds rough to be critical of a rookie before the season even starts. I can understand Hill not making the rotation, especially with the veterans ahead of him. But I would have liked to hear the coaching staff speak more positively of him. Maybe something along the lines of “he’s good, but he’s going to have to wait his turn.” Perhaps a better showing in either summer league or the preseason would allow me to look past his current state. I’m sure Hill will get some minutes at some point this year, and I can only hope that he can get some positive reviews for his on the court play.
Players like Melo and Dwight Howard are not the kind of players MDA does well with. But give him compliant players that play team ball and he will succeed. Hill is more fully mature and the circumstances are different in LA this year. MDA could relax and do his thing with the full support of the owner and GM. BIG DIFFERENCE!
