Before Grant Hill was informed where that star-spangled banner yet wave, he was informed of his spot in the hearts of Magic fans.
“Hill!” one fan screamed during the national anthem, and then proceeded to tell him a few choice words.
Hill’s return to Orlando one week ago was speckled with displeasure, fans angered that Hill’s injuries kept their team from thriving. Then he had signed with the Phoenix Suns.
The fans had a point. Hill had five surgeries on his left ankle during his time with the Magic, averaging just 33 games per season since 2000. But his seven-year, $93 million contract expired this offseason, and the Magic wanted him to play a reduced role if re-signed. So the parties agreed to disagree, and Hill, now a Suns starter, signed for just $3.7 million for two years. Meanwhile, the Magic used its new cap room to sign Rashard Lewis (20.7 points per game).
Hill, 35, entered the weekend with 14.1 points per game for the Suns, who have three key players born a decade after Hill was born. The forward has tailored his game, expanding it to the perimeter, shooting 3-pointers more consistently. And now he plays for a title contender.
Whether or not he wins a ring, his legacy will be punctuated with a question mark. How good could he have been? He won the rookie of the year in 1995, making the all-NBA first or second team five times.
“The way his career started, he was one of the best three men in the league, if you watch basketball, know the game,” Denver forward Kenyon Martin said. “His one-dribble pull-ups, nobody could guard it.”
Then, with a swipe of the pen, Hill seemingly rejuvenated the Magic franchise.
This guy was Orlando. He reduced Mickey Mouse to a rodent. Expectations brimmed.
But he played just four games his first season, 14 and 29 the next two, undergoing surgeries with Michael Jackson regularity.
A hero for his on-court dominance, Hill became a hero for his off-court perseverance.
“No matter what he went through, he didn’t quit,” said Martin, who missed 80 games last season with a knee injury. “It means a lot to a guy like me.”
Oden – No. 1 fan. Since he was handed his high school diploma, Greg Oden had a virtual spotlight following his every move, which made it weird to see him, unassumingly, hanging around Pepsi Center on Wednesday.
Portland’s No. 1 overall draft pick underwent knee surgery during the summer and is out for the season. After an amazing freshman season at Ohio State, featuring a brawny NCAA Tournament run to the championship game, he entered the draft, already anointed as the next great big man.
Now, Portland fans wonder if he’s the next Sam Bowie. He was the guy drafted second in 1984, in front of Michael Jordan. You’ve heard of Michael Jordan. Maybe not Sam Bowie, the injury-prone bust.
Oden made his first road trip of the year in the past week to Denver, and Portland coach Nate McMillan said: “He’s with us most of the time, and he’s in practice every day, and he’s watching. You can learn from watching. We want him to feel a part and be a part, and that’s why he’s traveling with the team.”
Oden is off the crutches and undergoing rehab, preparing for his rookie season, next season.
Who is this guy? First things first – it’s pronounced “Ka-LYNN-a Az-a-BOO-key.” Golden State’s Kelenna Azubuike is a frontrunner for most improved player, chiefly because last season, you probably didn’t even know he was in the league. This season, he entered the weekend with 18.3 points per game and 5.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 undrafted guard from Kentucky played in the NBA Developmental League the past two seasons, and had 41 appearances with Golden State in 2006-07, averaging 7.1 points. Now, he is third on the team in both scoring and rebounding.
Footnotes. Local legend Chauncey Billups entered the weekend ninth in the NBA in assists per turnover (3.5). And the Piston is fifth among starting point guards. More importantly, his team is in first place. … Why is that ball boy taking shots before the game with the Mavericks? No, that’s actually J.J. Barea, the “6-foot” Dallas guard, who has started four games and averages 6.8 points this season….From Gilbert Arenas’ blog on : “When you think about it, as bad as I’ve started off, I’m still better than 97 percent of the players that are playing right now.”
SPOTLIGHT ON …
Ronnie Brewer, guard, Jazz
Some of the quickest hands in the West belong to Ronnie Brewer, who has established himself as a bona fide thief, fourth in the NBA with 2.8 steals per game.
His highlight-reel swipes include an inbounds pass- snatch-turned-assist, a steal followed by a breakaway dunk and a strip of Zydrunas
Ilgauskas, under the basket, which led to an easy lay-in against Cleveland, a night he had five steals in a 103-101 win.
As a rookie last year, Brewer averaged only 12.1 minutes per game. Eight Jazz players averaged more minutes.
This season, he has started every game, averaging 14.7 points, compared to 4.6 as a rookie.
The Arkansas product has proven to be an ideal backcourt partner with Deron Williams, a proficient point guard.
Brewer scored in double figures in each of the first nine games this season and has only turned the ball over eight times, four coming in one aberration of a game against Seattle.
