Last season, Jordan Hill was one of the best Los Angeles Lakers at certain times of the season. Though he was inconsistent, he showed potential to be a major contributor.
— Have You Seen These LIMITED EDITION “Mamba Strikes Back” T-Shirts? —
This season, Hill will get a chance to be a regular starter for the first time in his career and according to Lakers Nation reporter Serena Winters, head coach Byron Scott has some serious expectations for him:
B. Scott says he expects Jordan Hill to be a "double-double" guy this year, offensively very impressed w/ Hill, needs to work on defense
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) October 8, 2014
Hill posted career highs in both points and rebounds last season, but averaged less than 21 minutes per game due to his conditioning, which he admitted was sub par and has worked to improve this off-season.
Energy is crucial to Hill’s effectiveness and he must be able to sustain that for longer stretches of time. It is also worth noting however, that Scott still wants to see improvement from Hill on the defensive end.
Defense is the most important thing to Scott and if Hill can’t hold down the paint, he will lose minutes. This is especially important with the emergence of Ed Davis and numerous frontcourt players.
Davis blocked four shots in only 12 minutes in the Lakers preseason victory over the Denver Nuggets. If he shows that he can protect the rim consistently and Hill continues to struggle, his offensive contributions won’t matter and he could lose minutes to Davis.
[divide]Lakers Practice Report: Wes Johnson Update, Game Vs. Practice