Clippers officially sign Grant Hill

[madmaxmedia]

I like the pickup, although I have no idea what his stats were last year.

All of these guys- Chauncey, Kmart, Crawford, Hill, Ray Allen (almost)- I think all of these signings are mostly possible because we got CP3. Suddenly the Clippers have become a very interesting destination for FA's...

[SportsFan215]

Like many of you I love this pickup. Solid leadership and play as long as he can stay healthy. Now we need to amnesty Gomes and pickup and backup center (Okur).

[awaywehappened]

Best move since we got CP3

[mkwest]

This is to me is like Jared Dudley for you MK....

awwww my deepest sympathies.

Jared Dudley truly is a #@&%$ though.

[playaloc916]

I like it. Hill will even out the team with his veteran leadership, and fills a need at the SF position. I gotta say I'm surprised that he signed with us. If he wanted a ring, he would've went with the Heat, and possibly even the Lakers with his former teammate Nash.

Glad that he's a part of our team. Now we just need a 7 footer and we're set.

[mkwest]

[LOJ]

I used to not like our away jersey's, but they are growing on me since last season.

[mkwest]

I used to not like our away jersey's, but they are growing on me since last season.

I'm cool with them, but I hope we get our blue alternates back at some point.

[mkwest]

Hill's choice of Clippers makes loud statement

Free agents have come before, sure. As recently as 5 ½ months ago, Kenyon Martin picked the Clippers over several suitors and became a key contributor to a group that reached the second round of the playoffs and played with particular Martin-like heart and tenacity in the opening round against the Grizzlies. Jamal Crawford, on a lesser level but the subject of a lot of interest around the league nonetheless, signed last week.

But neither can match the credibility of Hill. Few in the league can, as a matter of fact. One of the best people, one of the better small forward defenders, one of the durable players, of all things, his Tuesday decision is another loud statement about the new direction of the Clippers after landing Paul.

Ramifications are everywhere. The Clippers will be deep on the court and in the locker room, with Billups, Hill and Paul all known as great leaders and solid citizens. Those intangibles matter in a season that will have even greater expectations and pressure than the last. And although that's also a lot of years on the roster, along with Lamar Odom, the Clips still have the athleticism of starters Griffin and DeAndre Jordan along with backup guard Eric Bledsoe. This will not be a slow team.

Regardless of what happens with the last piece, getting Hill after acquiring Odom and Crawford is a very good offseason haul, especially for a basketball operations department that unexpectedly lost general manager Neil Olshey to the Trail Blazers. With president Andy Roeser as salary-cap expert, director of player personnel Gary Sacks and coach Vinny Del Negro, a former Suns executive, the challenging moment for the front office has been turned into more forward momentum.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com

Clippers have become a destination

By agreeing to terms with Grant Hill, the Clippers sent a loud signal to the team down the hall and to the rest of the NBA that they’re a destination for even the most cerebral, aware players in the league.

Caron Butler. Chris Paul. Chauncey Billups. Jamal Crawford. Blake Griffin.

They want to be Clippers, and that’s significant.

Getting them to L.A. was the easy part. Keeping them would be the real challenge.

But judging by this offseason, the Clippers are in pretty good shape. Billups, who was essentially placed with the Clippers against his will, eagerly re-signed with the team. Griffin inked a five-year extension. The team traded for Lamar Odom, who marveled at how far the Clippers had come. Crawford didn’t wait to see how the market shook out — he signed quickly.

And then Tuesday, it was Hill’s turn to pick the Clippers.

It seemed as if Hill would end up with the Lakers, especially after the team acquired his good friend Steve Nash. But instead of playing at Staples Center with the lights dimmed, Hill chose to be a part of something bright and new with the Clippers.

Guys like Billups, Crawford and Hill could’ve landed elsewhere. They could’ve chased rings in Miami, Chicago, New York or with the Lakers.

But they didn’t. They chose the Clippers.

And for a franchise that’s been through what the Clippers have, that counts as this season’s first big win.

Dan Woike, OC Register

[illastrate]

Funny thing is on the Lakers forum, they're calling us "little brother" and that we're trying to copy everything they do. All of a sudden, Grant Hill's too old and injury prone. A couple days ago, he was considered a great pickup for them.

[azncorruptedo17]

lol, i like the pic nash put up on his twitter when hill signed with us... nash too funny

Steve Nash ‏@SteveNash
@realgranthill33 is signing with the Clippers... http://instagr.am/p/NMnhZQA5HS/

[LakersSquad]

Great pickup you guys stole our guy. Our bench would be complete had he gone to the Lakers.

[adiedanny]

Great pickup you guys stole our guy. Our bench would be complete had he gone to the Lakers.

Hey thx for not hating. I was so surprised because of his relationship with Nash. I thought for sure you guys were getting him. I was blind sided by this signing just as much as getting Billups.

[LakersSquad]

Great pickup you guys stole our guy. Our bench would be complete had he gone to the Lakers.

Hey thx for not hating. I was so surprised because of his relationship with Nash. I thought for sure you guys were getting him. I was blind sided by this signing just as much as getting Billups.

You Mos def made some good moves with Crawford & Hill. Im not too sure with Odom. maybe LA is what he need sto revive his game.

[mj_shoefanatic]

Hill can still give us 15-20 quality minutes off the bench so I'm good with this signing.

All we need is a reserve big like Darko to complete the new and improved Goon Squad and we'll be set. Hope Trey gives up that #33 though to pay homage.

[mkwest]

CLIPPERS SIGN SEVEN-TIME ALL-STAR GRANT HILL

The Los Angeles Clippers today signed seven-time NBA All-Star forward Grant Hill. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not announced.

An 18-year NBA veteran, Hill brings career averages of 17.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.4 minutes to Los Angeles. In addition, he has played in 997 games (972 starts) and connected on 48.4 percent of his field goals, 31.5 percent from behind the three-point line and 77 percent of his free throws over his career.

Hill spent the last five seasons with the Phoenix Suns, tallying 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 28.1 minutes in 49 games played during the 2011-12 campaign in which he also received five All-NBA Defensive Team votes and received multiple Defensive Player of the Year votes. In 2010-11, Hill became the seventh player in NBA history to average 13 or more points at the age of 38 or older.

Prior to his time in Phoenix, Hill spent seven seasons with the Orlando Magic in which he was limited to just 200 games due to injuries to his left ankle.

The third overall selection in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Hill was named Co-Rookie of the Year (Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks) after posting averages of 19.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 38.3 minutes in 70 games played during the 1994-95 season. He was also named to the NBA's All-Rookie First Team that season and made history by becoming the first rookie to lead the NBA in All-Star fan balloting, narrowly defeating Shaquille O'Neal. During his time with the Pistons, Hill averaged 20+ points, 6.6+ rebounds, 5.2+ assists and 1.2+ steals in five consecutive seasons.

Hill was named to the All-NBA First Team in 1997 and the All-NBA Second Team in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000. He also won the NBA's Sportsmanship Award in 2005, 2008 and 2010.

A member of the 1996 United States Olympic Team, Hill helped lead the U.S. to the gold medal. He was also selected to the 2000 Olympic Team but did not play due to injury.

Hill entered the NBA after a prolific four-year collegiate career at Duke University (1991-1994), where he helped lead the Blue Devils to back-to-back National Championships in 1991 and 1992. Hill was named the nation's top defensive player in 1993 and was named ACC Player of the Year in 1994.

Clippers.com

[mkwest]

CLIPPERS AND GRANT HILL BOTH HAVE CHAMPIONSHIP GOALS

Hill has transformed from Michael Jordan’s heir apparent (or “Air” apparent, if you will) to somewhat of an NBA MacGyver. He’s an improved three-point shooter, jumping from 25.2% from beyond the arc in his first 12 seasons to 34.6% in his last five. He can defend multiple positions, evident when he was used by Suns head coach Alvin Gentry to effectively guard Chris Paul in one outing and Blake Griffin in another last season. He is a more than capable passer and rebounder and shot better than 80% from the free throw line in eight of his last 11 seasons. He’s a leader, cuts well off the ball, rotates on defense, and does not need the ball in his hands to be effective on offense. In short, he does the subtle things almost as well as the more obvious ones.

While Hill will certainly help on the court as the likely backup to incumbent starter Caron Butler, he’ll also fit seamlessly in a locker room that, according to Griffin, was closer than any team he had previously been around. Hill is a well-respected teammate and widely considered one of the most eloquent and cerebral players in the league.

“With Grant, everyone always talks about his leadership qualities, his professionalism and the right mentality he brings to the court,” Del Negro said. “I have known Grant for a long time and we are expecting him to contribute on the court for us in a major way as well as continue to be that strong presence off the court that he always is. Grant is a player who has been an All-Star, an All-NBA type player and someone who I really believe remains one of the top defensive players in the league.”

In 2000, he signed as a free agent with the Orlando Magic, but persistent ankle problems forced him to miss 199 of his team’s 246 regular season games in a three-year span. Finally, healthy, he bounced back in 2004-05, averaging 19.7 points on 50.9% shooting in 65 games. A year later, he joined the Suns, reviving his career at age 35 and over the last six years he’s played in 93% of his team’s games.

For the Clippers, Hill’s signing is another example of a sea-change in the organization, which has long desired to become a so-called “destination franchise” for free agents.

Eric Patten, Clippers.com

[TheNewEra]

Hope Hill is healthy enough for a strong deep push this year

[mkwest]

With Hill taking #33, Trey Thompkins will change to #9.

[mkwest]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se1NhALUDK8[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dHiKjXTUuU[/youtube]

Grant Hill excited to join Clippers

"I've been through this before where I've switched teams and I don't like to get into the process and the details and things of that nature," Hill said Friday. "All I'll say is that some things and some teams that were reported weren't true. ... We'll play the Lakers a couple of times this year, and hopefully Steve will pass me the ball like he used to."

"I had some good conversations with (Del Negro) and I was impressed with the things that went on last year," Hill said. "Obviously (Blake) Griffin and his progression, Chris coming on board and Chauncey and some of the moves that were made this offseason were big. It just seemed like a good fit. It was a team that took a big step last season and hopefully we can take another big step this season."

Hill, who will turn 40 in October, recently had the same platelet-enrichment procedure done on his knee in Germany that Kobe Bryant had, and he said he felt re-energized. Hill started 46 of 49 games last season and averaged a career-low 10.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 28.1 minutes.

"I feel good," Hill said. "I felt good before I went over there (for the procedure.) Bottom line is you want to play and you want to give yourself every opportunity to be right. It was really good. I feel good. It was worth the trip."

Arash Markazi, ESPN Los Angeles

Grant Hill was Clippers’ top choice

Still without a replacement, a team of Del Negro, director of player personnel Gary Sachs and team president Andy Roeser established a plan and executed each step, trading for Lamar Odom, re-signing Chauncey Billups and signing Jamal Crawford and Hill. .

“There’s not been one that was our first choice who we haven’t gotten,” Del Negro said. “That’s been great. …We’ve worked as a team on all of this. A lot of energy has gone into this. A lot of planning and a lot of execution have gone into this.

“We feel very good about the people we’re bringing, the players, the talent and the chemistry of the team.”

Hill, who will turn 40 this October, said Phoenix’s training staff, which has one of the best reputations in the league, gave the Clippers’ staff high marks. Hill also traveled to Germany this summer to have the same platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy that Kobe Bryant underwent last summer.

“I feel good. I felt good before I went over there,” Hill said. “Bottom line, you want to give yourself an opportunity to be right, so it was good.”

Dan Woike, OC Register