Utah Jazz: George Hill missing mountain views and Jazzy hues

Former Utah Jazz point guard George Hill speaks like a player wishing he could trade in his crown for a return to the blue, green and gold.

Banged-up though he was at times last season, George Hill undoubtedly had a major impact on the Utah Jazz. With Hill acting as floor general, the Jazz won their division, advanced to the postseason and went on to win their first-round series with the L.A. Clippers in dramatic fashion.

The time was good for Hill too — along the way, he averaged a career-best 16.9 points per contest and, at times, had the look of an All-Star. Unfortunately, things have been less rosy since he joined the Sacramento Kings. In fact, the 31-year-old seems like a player who misses the mountain views and Jazzy hues of his former basketball home.

Speaking with The Sacramento Bee’s Ailene Voisin recently, Hill waxed nostalgiac on his all-too-short run in Jazzland.

Here’s Hill from The Bee —

"“My adjustment in Utah last year was very easy,” he continued, “just because of my relationship with coach Quin. He is like coach Pop, very precise, very strategical. We had a great team, and I wish we could have stayed together. But it’s a business.”"

The sentiment is probably mutual.

Although rookie Donovan Mitchell has spent time at the point guard for the Jazz this season and played well, the position has been a point of consternation.

Dante Exum and Raul Neto have been beset by injuries. Hill’s replacement, Ricky Rubio, is a unique talent and has already made a substantial impact in the community off the floor, but he’s an awkward fit for the Jazz roster as it is currently constructed, not to mention Quin Snyder’s offense.

Hill has struggled to adapt to his new situation as well. He’s still shooting at a nice clip — 46 percent overall and 47 percent from 3-point range — but he continues to get less shots (7.8 FGA) and score fewer points (10.1 PPG) than he has at any time since the 2011-12 season.

Again, here’s Hill on the Kings experience via Voisin —

"“Very frustrating,” he said. “I’ve never been through anything like this, not ever. It’s not what I expected, a little more difficult than I anticipated. I think as a team we all get along. We like being around each other, like doing things together. But we’re still trying to learn each other, and it’s a different style of play. I’ve just got to figure things out.”"

More from The J-Notes

Brief though it was, the Hill-Jazz marriage was a fruitful partnership from the jump. Hill got the payday he sought by signing in Sacramento, but clearly free agency didn’t play out quite as he had hoped.

My J-Notes cohort Jared Woodcox thinks all parties involved could benefit from a trade-deadline reunion. I’m in firm agreement; whether or not that’s a legit possibility could be another story.

Regardless, Hill’s story goes to show that sometimes the grass isn’t greener. Hindsight is 20/20, but both he and the Jazz may wish they’d handled “business” differently.

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