Milwaukee Bucks: Grading George Hill’s season at the All-Star break

After the Milwaukee Bucks struggled to find stability at the backup point guard position last year, many were pleased with the decision to sign George Hill in 2021 free agency. This would be Hill’s second stint with the Bucks, as he played a season and a half with the team before being moved in the Jrue Holiday trade. On the surface, this looked like a quality move for the defending champions, but Hill has struggled to find his footing for much of the season.

Evaluating George Hill’s performance with the Milwaukee Bucks at the 2021-22 NBA All-Star break

With Holiday missing time due to injuries and an illness, the Bucks relied heavily on Hill for an early stretch in the season. As a result, the veteran has started in 16 of his 41 appearances this season while playing a significant 25.5 minutes per game, his most in four years. Despite the opportunity in front of him, Hill has struggled, at least statistically, as he averages seven points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per contest.

Hill’s seven points on average are his fewest since his rookie season back in 2008-09, largely due to the inefficiency he has displayed offensively. The veteran is currently shooting just 43.6 percent from the floor, the second-worse in his career, which is mainly bogged down by his outright brutal 3-point percentage. Hill is knocking down just 31.6 percent of his triples this season, which is odd, given that he has proven to be a reputable shooter throughout his career. In fact, Hill even led the league in 3-point percentage with the Bucks in 2019-20 by shooting 46 percent from deep.

Looking at the numbers, it is clear to see where Hill’s 3-point struggles are coming from, as he has been horrific as a pull-up shooter. According to NBA.com/stats, Hill is shooting an awful 1-of-23 (4.3 percent) on his pull-up 3-pointers this season. For reference, Hill shot an insanely efficient 30-of-69 (43.5 percent) on pull-up attempts in the 2019-20 campaign. His poor shooting this year has been a massive hindrance to his success as a whole, given how much the Bucks rely on 3-point shooting.

Aside from the perimeter shooting, Hill has been passable for the Bucks. While he will never make an All-Defensive team, he has been serviceable on that side of the ball. As a backup ball-handler in minutes where Holiday has been off the floor, the Bucks have not relied too heavily on Hill to make plays offensively, but he has been fine when called upon. Yet, fine may not be good enough for the champs, given how poorly their second unit in general has played this season. The Bucks’ bench is 28th in points, 30th in field goal percentage, 18th in 3-point percentage, and 28th in assists per game this season, and Hill’s struggles have factored into that.

Upon returning, the biggest focus for Hill must be regaining his 3-point efficiency. The Bucks will not rely on him to score in double-figures or dish out a handful of assists, but they will expect him to knock down 3-pointers, particularly when they are wide open. At this point in the year, he just has not managed to do that with any consistency. If he can start hitting them, it would help him find a groove and simultaneously improve the team’s overall subpar bench numbers.

The biggest concern with Hill currently is his health, as the guard has been sidelined for the past several games due to neck soreness. There is hope that he could return after the All-Star break, which would certainly be a significant boost to the Bucks’ shorthanded bench unit right now. Given the many injuries to the roster, they will need him to flip the switch.

BTBP All-Star Break Grade: C

Hopefully Hill can spend the All-Star break recovering from these neck issues and prepare to return for the Milwaukee Bucks sooner rather than later.