According to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin, the typically robust post player has been working on his perimeter game and jump shot to become more of a stretch 4.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni has to be feeling the heat after a difficult start to his tenure. Taking over 10 games into last year, he guided the Lakers to a 40-32 record and 45-37 overall before being swept in the opening round of the playoffs by the San Antonio Spurs.
Injury-plagued seasons for the team's returning stars in Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Steve Nash—the ideal catalyst for D'Antoni's "Seven Seconds or Less" offense—hampered the talented squad from reaching its full potential.
Now that center Dwight Howard has departed to the Houston Rockets, the Lakers are facing an even more difficult battle to become a legitimate factor in the deep Western Conference.
The 26-year-old Hill is one valuable player who could help the cause, and he himself also missed 53 games last season due to injury, per McMenamin.
With Howard gone, help is definitely necessary on the boards. Although LA endured a difficult year, one thing the Lakers did well was rebound as they averaged 44.8 boards per contest—fourth in the NBA.
Hill will not only benefit from his particular fit in D'Antoni's system, but he will also allow the other big men in the Lakers' rotation to thrive.
Gasol attempted to be more of a perimeter presence in his first action under D'Antoni, but he's clearly at his best when operating in the paint, where he has an array of crafty moves and also thrives as a lethal passer.
Newly acquired center Chris Kaman has a great touch for a seven-footer, but is obviously better suited on the lo...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
