Decisions, Decisions: Why Handing George Hill the Reins Is a Smart Move
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That’s typically a good rule of thumb. Take, for example, the San Antonio Spurs. At 27-4, sitting on top of Western Conference and just coming off the Dec. 28th 97-82 bludgeoning of the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, the Spurs definitely “ain’t broke.” So while Spurs Nation may find this sacrilegious, a key to sustaining this success in the coming year seems quite obvious…trade Tony Parker.
This is not a knock on T.P. in any way. Ever since his insertion in to the starting lineup as a 19-year-old rookie, Parker has cemented himself as one of the NBA’s premier point men. Three world championships, three all-star appearances and a 2007 Finals MVP have Tony on the fast track to Springfield. And at 28 years old and coming off maybe his best statistical season in the League, he appears to be in his prime years. So why ship him...well, have you ever seen George Hill play?
Hailing from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (seriously, that’s the name of the school), Hill has been a mainstay in the Spurs rotation since being drafted 26th in the 2008 NBA Draft. Filling the all-important sixth-man role for the club, Hill has contributed 11.3 ppg on a 27 minutes a game average. But let’s not forget, with Parker sidelined early last season, Hill was called upon to start in his stead. The results: 15.3 ppg, 3.6 apg .486 shooting, .39% from the arc in 43 games.
While not the pure scoring force Parker has evolved into over his nine-plus NBA seasons, Hill has shown the ability to play both guard positions and mesh seamlessly with Manu Ginoblli. Hill is fully capable of running the Spurs offense and his three point range stretches defenses, creating driving lanes for Manu and Richard Jefferson. His best attribute, however, has been his ability on the defensive end. Long and athletic, Hill has become excellent defender with the ability to guard point guards as well as twos.
While Parker is without a doubt the better player to this point, the concerns go far beyond simple stat lines. Including playoff appearances, Parker has played in 831 games, much more than his nine seasons would indicate. Glancing at some of his peers, Baron Davis has only played 812 games in his 11 seasons. Not a fair comparison? Consider this…no one in the 2001 draft has played more games than Parker.
With the Spurs looking like the best of the West, this is a move best left to this coming summer. But with a new CBA looming, do you really want to pay top dollar to a player with that many miles when you have a capable replacement sitting on your bench who commands a fraction of the cost? It definitely “ain’t broke," but why wait and be left to pick up the pieces?
