Milwaukee Bucks: 3 ways George Hill can help

1. Been to war

The Milwaukee Bucks this season are in position to do something no Bucks team has done in nearly 20 years: win a playoff series. Eight of the last 17 seasons the Bucks have made the playoffs, but never advanced to the second round. The 2000-01 Bucks are the only team since 1989 to win one either.

This team has its gaze fixed higher than simply a series victory, however. The Bucks have the best net rating in the league and a bona fide superstar in his prime, and they want to win the Eastern Conference. To do that, the team will need to battle through to the conference finals and beat a team like the Boston Celtics or Toronto Raptors.

One thing that could hold Milwaukee back is the relative inexperience of the roster for playoff basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo and the other players drafted by the Bucks have obviously never been to a conference finals. Yet until the trade for George Hill, neither had any other player on the roster.

Head coach Mike Budenholzer took the Atlanta Hawks there in 2015, but the locker room had no players who advanced past the second round. Hill began his career with Budenholzer on the San Antonio Spurs, and while he never won a ring with the Spurs, he certainly witnessed a winning culture.

With the Pacers, Hill made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, including the 2013 team that came within a game of the NBA Finals. Last season, Hill played alongside LeBron James and reached the NBA Finals.

Having a presence in the locker room who has been in those situations is important, as young players need a steadying voice. Experience is not more important than talent or coaching, but the Bucks have both of those. Hill is a player who has been to war, and he can help prepare the troops for battle.