"Grant Hill hasn

[mkwest]

Hill has yet another chance — perhaps his best chance — to win a championship, serving as a mentor and productive bench player.

“As you go through this whole experience, it’s all about reflecting on your career, and you think back at those dark times and whether you’d play again,” he said. “I may not have come back the player I was before because of the injuries but I made it back. I’m still going.

“To be turning 40 and having teams that are contenders trying to get me to play for them, it is humbling. It’s a great feeling and I’m glad that I am blessed and fortunate to continue to do it.”

Hill said he will take his wisdom about preservation and spread it to his new teammates, especially Griffin, who is coming off knee surgery and has already missed a full season because of his reckless, physical style.

The two were in a Los Angeles barber shop recently when Griffin declared himself ready for what is expected to be a big season for the Clippers. Hill had a message for his 20-something teammate.

“Blake’s a great kid, and I said, ‘Look man, take your time. If I learned anything, take your time,’ ” Hill said. “He wants to get back so fast.

“I said, ‘I need you in June, I don’t need you in October.’ So he’s a great kid and got a great career ahead of him, and hopefully I can share a little about the highs and the lows and the things that I’ve gone though.’’

Gary Washburn, The Boston Globe

[mike3]

Love that it already seems like Hill sees himself as a teacher to Griffin. Hopefully Griff really takes what Hill tells him on board. Griffin does seem like he's always in a hurry to get back after injury, he just loves the game, there's nothing better than that as far as im concerned (for a players mentality) but hopefully Hill can teach him not to play or rush into things if he knows he shouldn't be out there/isn't 100%.

Good small read.

[playaloc916]

I really like having these good character vets we have in Hill and Billups. Guys that not only can still play, but will spread knowledge to all the young guys on the team. I think it will go along way to preserve Blake's career, as well as help during our playoff run.

[Neddy]

hope hill can teach griffin how to get tough mentally on free throw line and make consistently on game day and not just boasting his practice FT% when nobody is looking

[seoulman]

I hope Blake takes Grant's advice to heart. Grant Hill is a classy veteran with a lot to share. Blake is a freak of an athlete. I hope he has a long and phenomenal career ahead. It's awesome watching guys like him play.

[og15]

hope hill can teach griffin how to get tough mentally on free throw line and make consistently on game day and not just boasting his practice FT% when nobody is looking

I would think that Chauncey, one of the best clutch FT shooters of all time would have been able to do that if it was so simple. Hopefully Griffin gets it, but I'm not sure Hill can do anything to help that.

Really nice to see that Hill views the team as contending, not just trying to be good.

[Neddy]

hope hill can teach griffin how to get tough mentally on free throw line and make consistently on game day and not just boasting his practice FT% when nobody is looking

I would think that Chauncey, one of the best clutch FT shooters of all time would have been able to do that if it was so simple. Hopefully Griffin gets it, but I'm not sure Hill can do anything to help that.

Really nice to see that Hill views the team as contending, not just trying to be good.

yeah i think you are right about this one. between chauncey, mo, gordon, and even camby being here in the past griffin and DJ would have gotten better already if free throw shooting ability could osmotically diffused into them.
i would love to know what trick karl malone used to improve his shooting, however.

[mkwest]

i would love to know what trick karl malone used to improve his shooting, however.

Pray?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mttHlV1WjMk[/youtube]

[Neddy]

lol nice, MK!

my personal favorite of a free throw routine is none other than Mark 'Action' Jackson and his 'arm measuring' act.
sorry i can't find any of his oddities on youtube. too old i guess. mark jackson used to be my favorite ex-clipper too until this squad we have now. 92 clipper team had mark jackson-ron harper-kenny norman-danny manning-stanley roberts with elmore spencer and gary grant coming off the bench. i still love that team so much to this day. my high school senior days as a lone clipper fan in my high school...

[tsherkin]

This team is insane. The roster they have, I mean, the talent is absurd.

You go from DJ/Blake/Butler/Billups/Paul to having Hill, Crawford and Odom on the bench... and that's NOT an entire list of the quality players on the team.

Just for the sake of seeing this squad in action, among others, I really hope they stay healthy throughout the RS and PS. I mean, I'd love to see Hill get a ring and the redemption storyline on Odom would be cool, Blake is always a wicked storyline and I'm a huge Billups fan, so this team is pure storylines, right? Storylines and talent. Here's hope VDN lives up to them.

[theman]

Let's see. If Grant Hill wins a ring with the Clippers that means LeBron doesn't get one and neither does Kobe. Sounds good to me. Win one for Hill.

[mj_shoefanatic]

Hill & Billups need one before they retire even tho Chauncey is looking for #2.