Perhaps no one could have imagined that the Cleveland Cavaliers, who swept the First Raptors in the East in the semifinals, would be behind 2-0 when they faced the Celtics, who lacked two All-Star players, in the Eastern Conference Finals. James, who had an unsightly first game, played a luxurious triple-double of 42 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists in the second game, but his teammates around him were not strong, including the team's starting point guard George Hill.
In the two matches that have been played in the Eastern Conference Finals, George Hill has averaged 30.5 minutes per game after James and Love, but his contribution is only 4 points, 1 rebound and 0.5 assists per game, and the three-point shooting rate is only 25%, which is obviously far from meeting the team's expectations for him. After all, of the four new players who have been hired this season, only Hill has been able to hold the main position of the team steadily, and the Cavaliers clearly hope that the experienced veteran can play a more important role in the team's progress.
As the 26th pick in the 2008 first round, Hill began his NBA career in San Antonio. Being able to play for the Spurs as a rookie is obviously a fortunate thing, and both GDP and Popovich have helped Hill grow a lot. In the 2009-10 season, due to Tony Parker's injury, George Hill, who was only in second grade, was given the opportunity to become the Spurs' main point guard, averaging 12.4 points per game and shooting 40% from three-point range.
Of course, George Hill's Spurs career did not last long, and on the day of the 2011 draft, the Spurs sent George Hill to the No. 15 rookie Kewy Leonard selected by the Pacers, and in this "now" and "future" exchange, Hill returned to his hometown of Indiana and signed a five-year, $40 million contract with his hometown team just one season later.
While reaping a new contract, George Hill also gained his main position, and with darren Collison's departure, the 26-year-old Hill became the team's point guard. It was also this year that Hill followed the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals and became one of the important heroes for the team to break into the Eastern Conference Finals. In the first two rounds of the playoffs, Hill averaged 15.6 points per game, one of the most consistent scores for the Pacers after Paul George. In the Eastern Conference Finals, although he was unable to beat the Heat led by the Big Three, George Hill still performed well in the 40 minutes per game.
In the 2014-15 season, Paul George was reimbursed for the season, and although Hill played only 43 games due to injury, he played quite well, averaging 16.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game, all three of which were career highs at the time, and achieved his first career triple-double against the Jazz. In addition, he also scored a highlight performance of 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists + quasi-kills against the Wizards. Sadly, in Hill's best-in-form season, the Pacers, who lacked a star of the house, ended up in ninth place in the East, missing out on the playoffs.
At this point, Hill also began his wandering career. In the three seasons that started in 2015-16 to the present, Hill was first sent to the Jazz by the Pacers, then joined the Kings as a free agent, and came to the Cavaliers in the middle of the season through a three-way deal. Despite frequent team changes, Hill's form has remained stable, and even after arriving at the Cavaliers, the ball has been greatly reduced, and he has been able to contribute 9.4 points per game, which has become an indispensable part of the team.
It is worth mentioning that this year is the third Eastern Conference Final in George Hill's career, and the first two East Finals, Hill lost to James. And this time, George was at James's side. Falling behind 2-0 isn't a no-brainer, but if Hill wants to win his first East Conference Final, he needs to share more for James.