Admit it, everyone was shocked when Jordan Hill nabbed a two-year, $18 million from the Lakers, you were shocked. While Hill certainly out-played his two-year, $8 million, he certainly hadn’t done enough to earn more annually than his entire previous contract was worth.
While the team option for next season helps it make a little more sense and provides the Lakers with their coveted flexibility, the big payday now comes with big expectations.
Hill will likely come into the season as the starting center, a position unfamiliar to him. In total, Hill has started just 52 games in his career, with 32 of those coming last year largely due to injury. On top of that, Hill struggled at times last year as a starter, finding it difficult to maintain his high level of energy in extended minutes.
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Hill’s role will be expanded this year on both sides of the court. In previous years, Hill struggled to find minutes under Mike Brown, only cracking the rotation late in the season off the bench. Still, he did the most with those minutes, becoming a key role player off the bench as he was featured in all 12 playoff games.
The following season, the coaching change from Brown to Mike D’Antoni did little to help him. D’Antoni’s up-tempo style of play wasn’t ideal for Hill. To add injury to insult, Hill was injured in early January of 2013, and while he came back for the playoffs, it was an underwhelming year for him.
Statistically, last season was Hill’s best season. Whether you look at raw numbers, per-game averages, or per-36 minute totals, Hill set career highs virtually across the board.
This season, however, Hill will need to take another big step forward. Not only will Hill be looked upon to produce offensively and continue his incredible knack for grabbing offensive boards, but he’ll also need to take a big step defensively. As the starting center, Hill will need to be the rim protector, which could be asking a lot of the Arizona alumni as he’s never averaged more than 0.9 blocks a game.
While Hill’s payday this summer was big, it could be short-lived. Barring a unfathomably big season, Hill’s option will not be picked up next summer. Nonetheless, if he contributes and shows another big improvement, he could be in line for a longer contract.
At the same time, if Hill continues to be an energy player who excels in rebounding and little else, he’ll find himself looking at a huge cut in pay next summer. The Lakers, nor anyone else, will pay him $9 million a year next season to grab some offensive rebounds, no matter how valuable they may be.
An improved offensive game will help Hill. An improved defensive game will earn him exponentially more money. Quite simply, it’s a make or break season for Hill.