Milwaukee Bucks: Can George Hill repeat outstanding 3-point shooting?
By Adam McGee
George Hill had an incredible three-point shooting season in 2019-20, and will be hard pushed to repeat that for the Milwaukee Bucks next year.
For reasons on and off the court, George Hill‘s 2019-20 season with the Milwaukee Bucks is guaranteed to be etched into the history books for long after his playing career has come to an end.
Of course, Hill was a central figure, and voice, in the Bucks’ walkout protest in the aftermath of Jacob Blake’s shooting. Hill’s actions on that day, as an initiating presence in the Bucks’ locker room, ultimately helped to spark the string of wider protests that spread across various sports and teams throughout the U.S. The significance of that, and Hill’s role in all of it, simply cannot be overlooked and absolutely won’t be forgotten.
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Before he took a stand for something much bigger than basketball, Hill had also compiled an outstanding season with his play on the court too. At 34 years old, Hill is clearly into the back end of what’s been a very successful career so far, and yet there are elements of his game that have never looked better.
In no department is that more obvious than with Hill’s three-point shooting.
Those who’ve watched Hill closely all the way back to his Indiana Pacers days, and even beyond that to his time with the San Antonio Spurs, will know that although Hill has always been a capable shooter from behind the arc. At the same time, the former IUPUI Jaguar had never exactly been a deadeye.
That changed this season as not only did Hill enjoy easily the best three-point shooting campaign of his entire career, but he ultimately led the league in three-point percentage too. Averaging 3.0 attempts from deep per game, Hill made a red-hot 46 percent of those looks in the regular season.
Fast forward to the present, and with the Bucks’ starting point guard spot shrouded in real uncertainty, Hill seems more important than ever.
If the Bucks end up trading Eric Bledsoe, as they’re rumored to be interested in doing, there’s a possibility that Hill may only grow even more important for Milwaukee than he’s already been. As it is, Hill’s combination of playmaking skills and the ability to knock down shots is already vital for Milwaukee, given that both of those represent relative areas of weakness for the Bucks.
On that front, there’s a real question as to whether Hill’s shooting can hold up by the time next year rolls around. Hill shot just 28 percent from deep in his first season with the Bucks, and anything resembling that would likely be a much more crushing blow to the Bucks than it was at that time.
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Some regression seems inevitable, but staying above 40 percent from deep and as a truly elite shooter should be Hill’s aim, and will be essential for Milwaukee.