Sacramento Kings point guard George Hill opened up to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee on his difficulty adjusting to his role on the team. It’s a wide-ranging discussion, and it’s worth reading in its entirety. But beware, Kings fans, you’re probably going to be pretty frustrated when you finish reading.

Throughout the article, it becomes abundantly clear that George Hill is unhappy. What’s frustrating for everyone else is Hill’s apparent surprise at what he was getting into.

“Very frustrating,” he said. “I’ve never been through anything like this, not ever. It’s not what I expected, a little more difficult than I anticipated. I think as a team we all get along. We like being around each other, like doing things together. But we’re still trying to learn each other, and it’s a different style of play. I’ve just got to figure things out.”

Let’s take a step back and recall how Hill ended up in Sacramento. George Hill was in discussions for a contact extension with the Utah Jazz, where Hill will remind us he was very happy.

“My adjustment in Utah last year was very easy,” he continued, “just because of my relationship with coach Quin. He is like coach Pop, very precise, very strategical. We had a great team, and I wish we could have stayed together. But it’s a business.”

But Hill’s agents told him he could do better. The market was booming, it seemed, and several high profile playoff teams needed a point guard.

Source: George Hill has been advised he can get much better deal this summer than what Jazz can offer now. @tribjazz reports talks dead. — Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 28, 2017

The Minnesota Timberwolves seemed like a likely destination after the Jazz traded for Ricky Rubio to back-fill Hill’s spot. But the Timberwolves signed Jeff Teague instead, and Hill found the market drying up quickly. Reports began to surface that Hill was in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers, to be a mentor to Lonzo Ball. From Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne:

Hill, 31, is a victim of a shrinking point guard market and could potentially parlay a healthy season with the Lakers into a longer-term deal elsewhere next summer. Hill had a problematic toe injury that limited his durability during an otherwise stellar season for the Utah Jazz. He played just 49 games, but averaged a career-high 16.9 points per game.

But the Lakers only wanted to do one-year deals, like they ended up doing with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Hill ended up in Sacramento over the Lakers because he could get paid, and he could get a multi-year contract, which was important with his injury history.

A team like Sacramento wasn’t what Hill had in mind when he broke off negotiations with the Jazz, but Hill should have known exactly what to expect when he signed with the Kings. The Kings had already drafted De’Aaron Fox and Frank Mason. The Kings will obviously in a rebuilding season. Hill was brought in to mentor and teach, and to lead with his play. After a slow start, Hill is walking the walk on the floor, but he’s still unhappy with the role he signed up for.

Back to Voisin’s article:

“Whatever they ask me to do is fine,” Hill insists. “We’re trying to develop the young guys, get them on the court. You’re going to have bumps and bruises when you have so many young guys with only one year of experience or less. My thing is, when you play a team like the Spurs, learn to play the right way. They commit, they talk, they screen hard. They get into their man. Become better by learning.”

George Hill talks about how the Spurs play the right way. Hill would know. He spent his first three years with the Spurs, learning from their veterans. Veterans who taught him to play the right way, to commit, to talk, to screen hard, to get into their man. Veterans taught Hill, and he’s enjoyed a long and successful and lucrative NBA career because of it.

It would be nice if Hill realized his role is now to be that veteran.