Paying Jordan Hill
The Los Angeles Lakers’ “big” move at the trade deadline was to acquire point guard Ramon Sessions from the Cleveland Cavaliers. To do so cost the Lakers a first-round pick but equally they were able to move out two unproductive players (Luke Walton and Jason Kapono).
To make room for Sessions, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak traded away long-time veteran, and frequent but aging hero, Derek Fisher to the Houston Rockets.
It was a major shake-up to the Lakers to lose Fisher, who has since been re-routed to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he could meet L.A. in the second-round of the playoffs if both the Lakers and Thunder can win two of the next five games apiece.
In return for Fisher (and another first-round pick), Kupchak acquired center/forward Jordan Hill, who initially couldn’t get off the bench ahead of Troy Murphy and Josh McRoberts. He was also fighting through a sprained MCL, which kept him sidelined for a couple weeks.
Eventually, he got his opportunity to play, breaking out in a double-overtime tour-de-force against the Thunder in a 114-106 Laker victory.
Hill played 35 minutes, contributing 14 points, 15 boards and three blocks. Andrew Bynum was not at his best and Jordan was on the floor to close the game (including both overtime sessions).
Now, he’s firmly entrenched himself as the team’s first big off the bench. Lakers head coach Mike Brown indicated recently that he expects Hill’s role to remain constant throughout the postseason
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-pm-paying-jordan-hill
IIRC Hill went 8th in the infamous Rubio/Curry draft, the big fear on the board was that we might select him, now he is a great value.
Mods – Please merge with the “I was dead-wrong? “ thread, I cannot locate it.
