Utah Jazz: George Hill’s return makes everything easier for Jazz

George Hill's impact on the Utah Jazz is obvious.

On a team that struggles to handle the ball, his low turnover rate is sorely needed. On a team that craves perimeter scoring, Hill is dropping 20 points per game. And on a team that hasn't defended opposing point guards well, Hill is one of the NBA's best in that category.

But for all of the things Hill brings the Jazz — he returned from a sprained toe in Thursday night's win over the Philadelphia 76ers — the biggest impact Utah receives from his presence is his ripple effect on the rest of the team.

Things look easier for the Jazz this season when he is on the floor. The defense is whole. The offense looks more crisp, something the Jazz have sorely needed. Yes, they treaded water while Hill was injured, going 8-5. But when Hill plays, the Jazz tend to overwhelm their opposition in spurts. And that's what happened during the fourth quarter of Thursday night's win over Philadelphia.

"I think in George's case, the shooting really helps," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He's such a consistent 3-point shooter that he impacts the game without doing anything. He's a coach on the floor and it's an impactful position. And I think for our team, especially given the fact that we haven't had a player like that in the last couple of years. We got a feel for what that meant earlier in the year."

Later on Thursday night, after the Jazz dispatched the 76ers, 100-84, Hill sat in his locker room stall, going through his phone, a plug in one ear and a thick bag of ice wrapped around his foot, knowing a home matchup on Saturday against the Phoenix Suns loomed in less than 48 hours. He was asked whether he was at 100 percent.

"No," Hill said. "There's pain, but it's something I'm just going to have to deal with for a while."

Hill has emerged as the leader of the Jazz locker room, and played the same role on the court Thursday night. For three quarters, he picked his spots while managing the offense. He got to the basket for a layup on the second possession of the game, but didn't look to drive for the bulk of the game.

Then, the first six minutes of the fourth quarter brought out the Hill the Jazz had been missing. He was dynamic, scoring at will, affecting the game defensively and setting up teammates for wide-open looks. Hill finished Thursday night with a plus/minus ratio of plus-31, by far the best of the game.

"I felt a little rusty," Hill said. "But talking to the guys, they just told me to do all I can and let it start on the defensive end, and let it carry over to the offensive end. It's all mental. I was just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win and be a presence out there. I tried to manage the game and tried to get everyone involved."

For a month, the weight of the offense has been on forward Gordon Hayward, who has played at an All-Star level this season. In that month, if Hayward didn't play well, the team's results suffered. Snyder even compared his situation recently to a guy lifting a car on one end, with nobody to help him on the other.

That's why Utah's run in the fourth quarter on Thursday night was significant. The Jazz went on a 21-2 run with Hayward on the bench. He came back into the game fresh, and without the pressure of having to exert himself offensively for the first time in seemingly ages. It was the ripple effect of Hill, the significance of having a second player on the roster capable of carrying an offense and being a hub on the floor.

"It was an awesome feeling," Hayward said. "I was able to cheer from the sidelines. It was great to see that depth in action and great to see George out there playing well with the rest of the guys. That's who we want to be, a team with no fall-off. When someone is on the bench, we want to be just as good. If we can do that, we can be dangerous."

tjones@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tribjazz