George Hill Looks Ready To Step Up For Pacers

The Indiana Pacers are heading into a very difficult season without both Lance Stephenson and Paul George, and are looking for players to step up and lead the team. One of those players is guard George Hill, who showed a much improved game in the Pacers’ preseason win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Obviously that was just one game, but he had a completely different mindset and was extremely aggressive as a scorer and playmaker for his teammates.

At 28 years of age, the time has come for Hill to break out and have a big season with the Pacers. He has been unable to play the type of game that he has needed due to the fact that the Pacers had both Stephenson and George, and Hill wasn’t one of the main scoring option. That will be changed this season, as Hill will be asked to be one of the main scorers, if not the number one scoring option.

Hill played in and started 76 regular season games last season with the Pacers, averaging 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. His shooting percentages were solid at 44.2 percent from the floor overall and 36.5 percent from the three-point line, but he simply didn’t look to score enough when the team needed him to. There was one game in particular where he showed his full scoring potential against the Portland Trail Blazers, where he scored 37 points on 12-19 shooting, and also 11-12 from the free-throw line.

Frank Vogel’s offense has changed quite a bit this season, and it will put Hill in the type of situation that he has needed. He’ll have the ball in his hands and will have the green light to score the ball. Hill has always had the ability to get to the rim and finish strong, or pull up for a mid-range jumper or floater. His ability to shoot the three-point shot makes things even more difficult for opposing defenses.

Indiana will look to David West, Roy Hibbert, C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey to score a large percentage of their points as well, but Hill has the best scoring ability out of any of them. The Pacers still believe that they are a playoff team, but they need players to step up in a big way. His scoring averages will need to go up a considerable amount, and he needs to make plays for his teammates like he did the other night in preseason action against Minnesota.

So what are the realistic expectations for Hill this coming season?

His scoring averages will skyrocket this year with the expanded offensive role that he will have, and it’s possible that he could be a legitimate 20 points per game scorer. As for his assist numbers, they will likely end up improving by around two per game. Having the ball in his hands more due to Stephenson being out of town will be big for him, and they have a lot of players who can stretch the floor and knock down shots off of kick outs when Hill drives.

There are plenty of critics that don’t believe in Hill once again this season, but he will have the chance to prove himself to the league. He has been labeled as a bust for the past couple of seasons, but that will finally change this season now that he will be given the keys to the offense. Indiana has held onto Hill despite his poor play because they knew that he could do more than he had been, and it’s a good thing they did.

Expect a much improved season from Hill this season, and for him to take the leadership role that the Pacers desperately need from him.

Evan Massey is a Staff Writer for HoopsHabit.com.