Jordan Hill Is the Missing Piece for Los Angeles Lakers' Championship Run

An unlikely name is now the final piece to the Los Angeles Lakers puzzle and he has increased their chances to win a title, especially with Metta World Peace suspended for the next seven games.

His name is Jordan Hill.

If you don't know who he is, learn the name. 

Hill is such an unknown on the Lakers team that when you search his name on Yahoo, the first link is Jordan Hill the singer, not the basketball player. 

Hill was acquired in the Derek Fisher trade at the trading deadline, but he had played sparingly up until Sunday afternoon against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

With Andrew Bynum struggling and World Peace thrown out of the game, Mike Brown gave Hill a chance to play and he did not disappoint.

Hill scored 14 points and grabbed 15 boards on 6-for-11 shooting in 35 minutes of action. He was instrumental in the Lakers' comeback in the fourth quarter and played both overtime periods. 

Suddenly the Lakers found the bench depth they were looking for. 

Folks, this wasn't an anomaly.

Hill has talent. There's a reason why he was drafted eighth overall back in 2009. The dude can play. He has a plethora of potential. All he needs is the opportunity and the proper surroundings.

Don't look at his 4.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. His numbers are deflated because of all the games where he plays only in garbage time. This lowers his averages.

One must look at his 48 minute averages to truly understand how valuable of a player Hill is. This season, including his stint with the Houston Rockets, Hill has averaged 17.1 points and 16.4 rebounds per 48 minutes. 

Hill also has a player efficiency rating of 16.15, which is well above the league average of 15. 

These are staggering numbers that exemplify Hill's dominance in the paint both offensively and defensively. 

For this reason, it's extremely important that the Lakers give Hill the playing time he deserves. Not only will he provide continuous production from the paint when Bynum and Pau Gasol are sitting, he will bring some youthful exuberance from the bench. 

He's an efficient player and all he needs is a chance to shine, especially now that he's healthy. He's an energy guy who can change the momentum of the game like he did on Sunday afternoon against the Thunder. 

With World Peace suspended in the first round, Hill will have his chance to prove that he can be an everyday bench player for the Lakers. Based on what he did in Houston and on Sunday afternoon, there's a pretty good chance that he's going to be productive.

And for the Lakers, this will solidify their bench, which has been an enigma all season long. Matt Barnes, Hill and Steve Blake will be the leading minute-getters from the bench. Barnes and Blake have played significantly better in the second half, and now with Hill in the rotation, the Lakers can now be proud of their bench.