Looking back at Grant Hill's injury-riddled prime

[HurricaneDij39]

He likely played with a broken ankle in that series against #2 seed Miami (three years before Wade was drafted). Tough to watch, really.

Detroit should have never allowed him to take the court that series. Pistons coach George Irvine (R.I.P.) recommended he not play but the team trainers gave him the green light anyway. It would be easy to assume that the team's misdiagnosis on his ankle played a large role in him leaving Detroit the following offseason.

For all the bragging out of Detroit for the return they got in the sign-and-trade, they frankly didn't deserve it due to their mistreatment of Hill. (As if a Pacers fan didn't have any better reason to hate on the fans of Detroit)



Even though they were heavy underdogs even with Hill, Jerry Stackhouse almost led Detroit to win in that Game 2 after Hill exited for the last time as a Piston late in the 3rd quarter. There's a reason Stack was my favorite player of the 2000's decade - Not many guys were better at making something out of nothing. No matter how lousy his FG percentages may have been, he would usually make up for it be getting to the FT line at a league-leading rate...

 

[HurricaneDij39]

Here's one of newest HOFer Toni Kukoc: (And for the fact that it's fun to watch the mid-2000's Pistons lose for any cause )

 

[CitySushi]

Grant Hill was the original Lebron. I think he might have ended up a top 20 player of all time easily, had he not been derailed by injuries. He was that good, I believe.

 

[tlance]

Here's one of newest HOFer Toni Kukoc: (And for the fact that it's fun to watch the mid-2000's Pistons lose for any cause )

Did you really just post an entire random playoff game from 2004?

What are the chances anybody actually wants to watch that?

 

[tlance]

Grant Hill was the original Lebron. I think he might have ended up a top 20 player of all time easily, had he not been derailed by injuries. He was that good, I believe.

Yeah, he was MVP level player before that ankle.

He and TMac would have been a lethal pairing if he had been right.

 

[broncosmitty]

Nobody forced him to play.


He’s a HOFer and Detroit got another ring. All’s well that ends well.

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Grant Hill was the original Lebron. I think he might have ended up a top 20 player of all time easily, had he not been derailed by injuries. He was that good, I believe.

Larry Bird was the original LeBron.

 

[CitySushi]

Larry Bird was the original LeBron.

Larry Legend is one of the Goat's but he's not the original because he didn't have the athleticism to go with it. Hill and Lebron (and others) harnessed their athleticism and used it in a way that allowed them to attack differently than Bird did. Bird was a cerebral player, multi-skilled, just like Lebron and Hill, but they have a component that he didn't have.

 

[trojanfan12]

Larry Legend is one of the Goat's but he's not the original because he didn't have the athleticism to go with it. Hill and Lebron (and others) harnessed their athleticism and used it in a way that allowed them to attack differently than Bird did. Bird was a cerebral player, multi-skilled, just like Lebron and Hill, but they have a component that he didn't have.

Magic is much closer to being the original Lebron, and even he didnt have Lebrons athleticism.

Lebron is like the T-1000 version of Magic. lol

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Magic is much closer to being the original Lebron, and even he didnt have Lebrons athleticism.

Lebron is like the T-1000 version of Magic. lol

From a stats point of view it's Larry Bird. That's all I'm saying. Birds back injury really hampered him for most of his career, but he was MVP 3 times straight before his injury.

 

[tlance]

From a stats point of view it's Larry Bird. That's all I'm saying. Birds back injury really hampered him for most of his career, but he was MVP 3 times straight before his injury.

Ok, but the 2 literally couldn’t be more different as guys who primarily play the same position.

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

Ok, but the 2 literally couldn’t be more different as guys who primarily play the same position.

They were both 6'8 and 6'9. Both small forwards who basically were the primary ball handlers on their teams. They both dominated the game. Statistically they were very similar. Here's an article discussing the similarities. Why Larry Bird Was Better Than LeBron The article was 6 years ago and obviously LeBron has continued to dominate and has insert himself as the clear second best, if not the best player of all time. There is no way grant hill was a closer comparison to LeBron than bird. But come on man.

 

[tlance]

They were both 6'8 and 6'9. Both small forwards who basically were the primary ball handlers on their teams. They both dominated the game. Statistically they were very similar. Here's an article discussing the similarities. Why Larry Bird Was Better Than LeBron The article was 6 years ago and obviously LeBron has continued to dominate and has insert himself as the clear second best, if not the best player of all time. There is no way grant hill was a closer comparison to LeBron than bird. But come on man.

The way they played the game could not be more different.

Bird’s game was built on skill and savvy. LeBron’s was built on being the best pure athlete on the planet. Bird’s athleticism would have been about average at the local Y.

Players are usually compared to one another because of similarities in style. LeBron and Bird complied their stats in much different ways.

And if Larry Bird played today, he would not be a SF either. He would be a stretch 4.

 

[Picklerick 2.0]

The way they played the game could not be more different.

Bird’s game was built on skill and savvy. LeBron’s was built on being the best pure athlete on the planet. Bird’s athleticism would have been about average at the local Y.

Players are usually compared to one another because of similarities in style. LeBron and Bird complied their stats in much different ways.

And if Larry Bird played today, he would not be a SF either. He would be a stretch 4.

That's just clown shit man.

 

[thunderc]

The way they played the game could not be more different.

Bird’s game was built on skill and savvy. LeBron’s was built on being the best pure athlete on the planet. Bird’s athleticism would have been about average at the local Y.

Players are usually compared to one another because of similarities in style. LeBron and Bird complied their stats in much different ways.

And if Larry Bird played today, he would not be a SF either. He would be a stretch 4.

And he would still dominate

 

[DJ]

Grant Hill was an amazing player and LeBron James before LeBron James became a thing.

 

[DJ]

Grant Hill was the original Lebron. I think he might have ended up a top 20 player of all time easily, had he not been derailed by injuries. He was that good, I believe.

 

[tlance]

That's just clown shit man.

LMAO.

Nobody is saying Grant Hill is anywhere near either as a player.

The comparison is style.

And Bird is obviously much better than Hill.

But stylistically there is absolutely no comparison.

Only clown here is you for not understanding the topic.

 

[DJ]

LMAO.

Nobody is saying Grant Hill is anywhere near either as a player.

The comparison is style.

And Bird is obviously much better than Hill.

But stylistically there is absolutely no comparison.

Only clown here is you for not understanding the topic.

This.

LOL.

 

[tlance]

And he would still dominate

Totally agree.

But comparing Bird to LeBron is just stupid. They are nothing alike as players.

It would be like trying to say Shaq and Jokic are similar because they were both centers and got a lot of points rebounds and assists.