Cavaliers Should Want To Avoid Miami Heat by Zack Geoghegan

George Hill has made the Utah Jazz a top-four seed in the NBA’s loaded West but his recent play will see them become a first-round knockout.

George Hill isn’t the best player on this Utah Jazz team — that’s for Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert to squabble over.

Hill isn’t the leader nor is he the focal point for an opposition defense.

The 30-year-old point guard is the glue.

When the Jazz are at their best, they are in the conversation of genuine threats to the top-heavy Western Conference. When Hill is at his best, the Jazz are the best versions of themselves.

Joe Ingles and Dante Exum can have solid games.

Rodney Hood and Joe Johnson can produce game-winning performances.

Those exceptions aren’t regularly needed when an at-the-top-of-his-game Hill is the rule.

With the added stability Hill brought to the position from the Indiana Pacers at the beginning of the season, the Jazz have jumped from ninth in the standings at the end of 2015-16 to fourth as the 2016-17 playoffs approach.

The Jazz have achieved that by being one of the best defensive teams in the league. While that’s largely due to Gobert’s possible award-winning season, Hill has made a habit of playing great team defense.

His 100.8 defensive rating is the second best in the league among starting guards that have played at least the same number of games (47) that Hill has.

When Hill is off the court, the defensive rating as a team jumps to 103.5.

His on/off court numbers further prove his value offensively.

The Jazz are scoring 109.2 points per 100 possessions with Hill on the floor — the same as All-Star reserve Hayward. Those 109.2 points with Hill on the floor is good enough for Jazz to score the eighth-most points per 100 possessions in the league.

He’s the player the Jazz needed to make the leap, but Hill hasn’t been his best since the beginning of March, right around the time his contract extension negotiations stalled.

Scoring 17.5 points on 47.5 percent shooting from the field and 41.4 percent from beyond the three-point line, Hill was on fire in February while his agent and the Jazz front office attempted to extend his stay in Utah.

In the 12 games he’s played since the extension deadline, Hill is only scoring 14.3 points on 43.9 percent shooting — with his three-point percentage dropping to 31.6 percent.

It’s unfair to put the blame solely on his failed contract negotiations, but it’s willfully ignorant not to consider the impact the unsuccessful meetings may have had.

Is Hill disappointed the team didn’t do more to ensure he remains in Utah?

Was he asking for an overpay knowing he would be quite happy to walk should the front office decline?

I don't fault Hill for wanting to explore free agency. But will he indeed get a better offer than that? Why would a team offer him a max? — David J. Smith (@davidjsmith1232) April 4, 2017

The proof of the pudding is in the eating and Hill certainly isn’t feasting like he once was this season.

Last week Gobert challenged his teammates to improve and play as a unit, suggesting some players were out for themselves of late, telling ESPN:

“We’ve got guys that compete, but some of us don’t compete. Some of us just think about scoring,”

Hill played decidedly average that night shooting 4-of-11 and finishing with a minus-29 plus/minus, prompting suggestions the comment was targeting him.

Whether the statement was voiced in Hill’s direction or not, the Jazz need their point guard back.

Jostling for the fourth seed and home court advantage against the Los Angeles Clippers, Hill might hold the key to that series in his matchup with future Hall of Famer Chris Paul.

His 14 points and 43.9 percent shooting isn’t going to cut it. Gobert and Hayward already have their hands full without picking up Hill’s slack.

With four games left in the regular season, Hill needs to find his mojo.

He needs to be the glue that sticks this team together.