Utah Jazz: George Hill The Key To Success For Rising Utah Franchise

The Utah Jazz and George Hill are the perfect fit and together they can become one of the NBA’s elite teams.

Last season when the Utah Jazz missed the playoffs, while disappointed, those around the franchise knew they were unlucky.

A season fraught with injuries was rendered meaningless by some, but a growing experience by others.

General manager Dennis Lindsay knew not all was lost on his young core group, telling USA Today:

"“This season was quite unique. It’s hard to say that we’re disappointed when your point differential is better, your record’s better. To a man, all of our players improved individually."

A season where four starters and a sixth man all spent time in street clothes one thing became glaringly obvious; the Jazz needed a point guard. They needed a general.

Insert George Hill.

Utah Jazz /

Utah Jazz

Arriving from the Indiana Pacers during the offseason, Hill has been a key component in Utah’s run to fourth in the Western Conference. Battling injury issues of his own, Hill has managed to post 17.7 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game.

Shooting 48 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc, Hill has been an offensive threat opposition teams haven’t been able to ignore.

His shooting has opened the floor up for All-Star Gordon Hayward and center Rudy Gobert, who are both posting career highs in points per game, and should he get back to full strength, Derrick Favors also stands to further gain from the arrival of Hill in Utah.

Hill’s influence on the team flies under the radar and is effectively hidden in plain sight. He’s not flashy nor is he ball-dominant.

It’s not until it’s all too late that opposition teams read the box score and notice the 30-year-old has put up 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting, like he did against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Coming from a Pacers team that decided to embrace the small-ball style and push the pace of play, Hill was one of the casualties — along with coach Frank Vogel — of the team’s change of style.

The pace at which Hill played in Indiana was questioned but in Utah, it’s embraced.

The Jazz are playing with the slowest pace in the NBA this season (93.38) which is no real surprise given they were the slowest in 2015-16 also (93.26). Slow and steady wins the game for the Utah Jazz, which has made Hill such a perfect fit.

The on/off court numbers speak for themselves. On the court, Hill’s plus/minus is plus-12.1 compared to plus-1.1 off the court. His offensive rating is 112.2 and his defensive rating is 98 which produces a team-best net rating of plus-14.2 with him on the court.

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Having only played in 28 games this season, Hill’s continued health is imperative when it comes to a Jazz playoff run.

The Jazz are 22-7 when Hill plays and had he been available all season long, the gap between themselves and the third-place Houston Rockets might not be the three games it is now.

As they begin to jostle for playoff positions, currently surrounded by the Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Memphis Grizzlies (both two games back), Hill has now strung together 16 consecutive games without injury.

This version of the Utah Jazz with a fully healthy Hill is a genuine member of the West’s elite. With health on their side, their seat at the table in the second round of the playoffs will be reserved.

If they continue to play at this level, the Jazz will have an opportunity to host their own coming out party in Salt Lake City when round one of the playoffs begin.

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Hayward is the star. Gobert is the defensive rock. But Hill is the difference and will be at the forefront of reasons the rest of the NBA finally takes note.

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