There aren't very many players in the league who play with as much relentless energy as Hill does. He goes after every rebound—often jumping two or three more times than the man he is contesting the board with in order to corral it—and manufactures extra possessions for the Lakers through sheer effort and will.
After seeing limited action early on, Mike D'Antoni finally unleashed the beast and inserted Hill into the starting lineup.
Hill responded by averaging 18.8 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes a game over his first four starts.
He's struggled recently, however, and after a 1-for-9 shooting performance in Brooklyn D'Antoni has sawed his minutes in half. The Lakers' boss has even dismissed Hill back to the bench in favor of the illustrious Robert Sacre the last two games.
This season is the first extended look the Lakers and their fans have gotten of the young big man. Here's how he's impacted the team on the whole so far.
The Good
Hustle, hustle and more hustle. Hill gets after it.
For a long time the Lakers have employed big men who are plodders, even as the rest of the league has shifted to dynamic, athletic frontcourts.
Hill is of that modern breed, capable of going toe-to-toe with the Andre Drummonds and DeAndre Jordans of the world from an athletic standpoint.
The Arizona product is having the best season of his career. His career-best 20.1 PER is tops on the Lakers and ranks seventh at his position, per ESPN.com, ahead of guys like Roy Hibbert, Chris Bosh and Joakim Noah.
The biggest reason for the gaudy efficiency rating is his superb rebounding.
According to NBA.com, Hill is second in the NBA in offensive rebound rate and trails only ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
