Grant Hill

Overview: One of the best players of his generation between the years 1995 and 2000 or so). Was once arguably the most explosive offensive player in the NBA. Was incredibly fluid, agile, and made his fair share of highlight-reel plays above the rim. No longer able to take over a game with his athleticism. Has good size and strength for a small forward. Still athletic for his age, but all those ankle surgeries have slowed him significantly. Overcame a number of major setbacks and remains a very good NBA player. Plays a very savvy offensive game, and still extremely skilled and efficient. Has good versatility on both ends. Not athletic enough to be the defender he once was, but is still solid due to a strong work ethic and great court sense. Won two NCAA Titles during his four years at Duke. Was named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year as a senior. Won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1995. Was even more dominant in the NBA than he was in college. Instantly became one of the game’s most promising young talents. Fulfilled his potential to an extent, but was cut down by serious injuries in his prime. Seven time All-Star. A great leader on and off the floor. Offers a great presence in the locker room for younger players to emulate. Shows a very placid demeanor for the most part, but is a fierce competitor. A true professional who could have been one of the all time greats.

Offense: Gets almost one-third of his offense in transition with another third coming in catch and shoot situations. Uses his great experience and savvy to be effective in a variety of different ways, and rarely takes bad shots. Possesses a nice shooting stroke, but doesn’t have great range. Shoots the ball from almost directly in front of his body with good elevation and nice follow through. Has just now in his career started to shoot more NBA 3-pointers, but is exceptionally smart at finding spots in the 16-18 foot range to get his very effective mid-range jumper off. Capable of knocking down pull up jumpers going left or right, although he prefers going right. Finishes plays at the rim at an extremely high rate despite his lack of leaping ability. Shows great touch and works hard to get himself easy opportunities at the basket. Runs the floor well, and will knows what angles to attack to fearlessly get to the rim. Won’t be isolated that much in half court situations, but moves extremely well off the ball, leading to touches inside. Plays off his teammates as well as any player in the League. Fantastic at identifying and taking advantage of opportunities to cut to the rim. More of a smart passer than a playmaker now that he’s not able to rely on his freakish athleticism to draw defenders. Very good solid ball handler, but will turn it over periodically when he gets caught in the lane. Gets to the line at a decent rate and shoots a great percentage. Will help out on the offensive glass. No longer the explosive top-level scorer he once was, but a smart veteran who is extremely efficient and very productive considering how much he’s changed his game over time.

Defense: A capable defender that is smarter than he is talented. Doesn’t have the physical assets to be a lock down defender anymore. Used to get a lot of steals, isn’t able to force turnovers like he used to. Will get in a good stance and try to stay in front of his man, but will get beaten off the dribble by quicker players. Tends to play off his man to avoid getting beat. Won’t miss many rotations. Isn’t an ideal on-ball defender, but maximizes what quickness he does have left with hard work and great anticipation. Grabs quite a few defensive rebounds for a player that does most of his damage in transition. Not an ideal option against elite scorers, but a nice perimeter defender considering his experience-level.