The Point Guard Matchup: Stephen Curry vs George Hill
By Derek Tahara
Breaking down the point guard matchup between Stephen Curry and George Hill in the Western Conference Semifinals.
The Warriors have a best-of-7 series date with the Utah Jazz in the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs. There are intriguing matchups across the board at every position. I will be breaking down the matchup between two-MVP Stephen Curry and the incredibly underrated George Hill.
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First, let’s start by analyzing how many matchups they had against each other this regular season. Comparing the two guards from a traditional standpoint,
Curry possesses a higher points per game average with 22 than Hill, who was at 20. He only averaged 2.3 assists in the three games he played against the Jazz compared to Hill’s five assists in the one game he played against the Warriors. Curry also averaged more rebounds than Hill in the matchup he had against him in the regular season with 3.7. Hill had only one rebound in his lone game against the Warriors this season. (via stats.nba.com)
The sample size between Curry is significantly smaller because Hill only played in one game against the Warriors, which was a 105-99 victory for the Jazz in the second-to-last regular season game for the Warriors.
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When Hill did play, he was effective at getting his shot off in the pick-and-roll. Hill bombed in five three-pointers out of seven attempts, so he is very capable of knocking down the three ball. That night, Hill went 7-of-9 from the field. On the other hand, Curry matched Hill with 28 points on 9-of-16 from the field, including 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. (via www.nba.com)
However, the matchup won’t be easy pickings for Curry. Hill is a former San Antonio Spur and under the tutelage of legendary coach Gregg Popovich, he is an underrated defender with his quick feet and long arms that can disrupt the passing lanes and make it difficult for Curry to get daylight on any of his shots.
If Curry can win his matchup with Hill, then it is one less matchup the Warriors have to worry about.