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George Hill Is the “X-Factor” for the Utah Jazz

By Taylor Griffin

Mar 27, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) dribbles the ball during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 108-100. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2017; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) dribbles the ball during the first half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Jazz won 108-100. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /
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With the playoffs fast approaching, the ultimate success of the Utah Jazz is heavily correlated with the performance of their volatile point guard, George Hill.

Despite the strides they’ve made, the Utah Jazz have had a season of ups and downs. Even though there has seemingly been more high points than low ones, the worst seems to come out of players, fans, coaches etc, during the hardest parts of the season.

After a tough loss in an important game this past weekend, Rudy Gobert made some questionable comments targeting some players that he did not name.

"“We’ve got guys that compete, but some of us don’t compete,” “Some of us just think about scoring. That’s what it is.”"

Some believed that criticism was meant for Jazz PG George Hill, who finished the game with a season-low negative-29 in the plus/minus scores. Hill has been struggling as of late, especially from the three-point line where he is shooting just 31 percent during the last ten games.

Mar 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) takes a shot against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Utah 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 20, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Utah Jazz guard George Hill (3) takes a shot against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeated Utah 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Hill has also had his fair share of ups and downs this season. He’s having the best season of his career statistically, and has gone stretches of the season where he is shooting 50 percent from the field and 45 percent from three.

He has also had stretches where his defense is sub-par and he has a negative impact on the Jazz, as we saw on Saturday afternoon against the Clippers.

Digging in a little deeper into Hill’s stats this season, you may find a huge argument as to why he has become the Jazz’ “X-Factor” and one of the most deciding factors in games won or lost.

Hill’s Offensive Impact

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Jazz this season has been offensive continuity. They have had games where shots won’t fall for anyone, which obviously makes it incredibly difficult to come back and win after they’ve fallen behind, given the team’s slow pace. Their lack of scoring depth caused by multiple injuries this season has also thwarted their winning ways and made for a handful of ugly games.

One of the biggest antidotes for the Jazz’ offensive struggles has been the effect of Hill.

Hill has made a great impact on the Jazz offense this season. He is averaging a career-high 16.9 points per game. He has stepped up into a point guard position that desperately needed a boost on the Jazz offense. There is a strong tie between Jazz wins and the offensive production of Hill this season. In games where he scores 20 points or more, the Jazz are an impressive 14-1. The Jazz are a perfect 8-0 in games when he scores more than 22 as well, which is five points above his season average.

In games where Hill has at least seven assists, the Jazz are a strong 11-3.

These numbers support the theory that Hill is the ultimate X-factor for the Jazz. When Hill is shooting well, the Jazz usually win. When he is not shooting or scoring well, the Jazz tend to struggle. Obviously guys like Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert are the most important and vital cogs in the Jazz’ system. But the ultimate deciding factor appears to be Hill and his impact on both ends of the floor for the Utah Jazz.

Defensive Inconsistency

Part of Hill’s downside and a possible reason behind Utah’s possible reluctance towards extending his contract has been defensive inconsistency. Despite his length, his negative defensive box plus/minus is an indication of that the Utah defense suffers at times with Hill on the floor.

It is no easy task being a wing defender in the NBA in today’s age. Going against guys like James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul are the quickest ways to get to the bottom of advanced defensive statistics. However, Hill has shown his defending ability and appears to be a viable long-term option for the Jazz. He helps them accomplish their defensive missions in being one of the best defending teams in the league. Hill’s defensive struggles often times seem to be more of a mental or psychological issue than physical.

Defense is all about focus, and sometimes it appears that Hill isn’t honed in defensively.

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Approaching what is the most important stretch of the NBA season, the Jazz will  continue to look to Hill to be their X-factor. It is proven statistically that when Hill plays well, the Jazz usually win games. With the final games of the regular season and playoffs coming up, the Jazz need him more than ever.

His offensive impact will make or break the Jazz’ success this post-season, and will dictate what happens with his future as a Jazz player.

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