Grant Hill signs with Phoenix

[Uncle Mxy]

I gave up on Grant Hill doing the right thing shortly after Joe Dumars became GM for some stramge reason.

[luniz]

I'd say PHX vs DET would indeed be close....but neither is better than SA.

I'd take Chauncey and Rip over Nash and Bell. But they have better bench production.

The more I think about it, there's only one player in the league that can put Detroit over the top.

Rasheed Wallace.

[DrRay11]

^^ I agree to an extent. If Rasheed worked harder on his game and played in the post, giving a Ben Wallace-like effort, he'd be top 5 or at least top 10 in the league.

Oh well though, I've learned not to expect that...

[Glenn]

We brought back all of Grant's cronies but it looks like we forgot the most important one.

Formal courtship between the Spurs and Hill never ensued. The Pistons, in fact, were far more disheartened by Hill's decision to go to Phoenix than anyone with an office on Spurs Lane.

Suns insiders believe assistant coach Alvin Gentry, who was on the Pistons' coaching staff through Hill's first five seasons in the league, was a major factor luring Hill to the Valley of the Sun. Don't doubt that Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, a Team USA assistant under Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, prevailed on Coach K to have a few words with the former Blue Devils star.

There are intangible factors at work, too. Hill may well believe it will be more fun running the floor with Steve Nash than with Tony Parker. It's hard to argue the notion. Nash is the league's best passer and its deepest thinker. Parker gets more cerebral on the court every season but remains more pure athlete than pure player. Plus, the Spurs already have Bruce Bowen at small forward and Manu Ginobili and Michael Finley at big guard. Those are Hill's positions. As fragile as his ankles have been the past seven seasons, Hill still wants to play, rather than sit.

Money clearly was no factor. Hill reportedly will get the biannual salary cap exception from the Suns, worth about $1.8 million. Had the Spurs made an offer, it likely would have been for the veteran's minimum, about $1.2 million for a player with 10 or more years of service. Hill has 12.

Hill could have gotten considerably more from the Pistons, at least double what the Suns offered. When Hill swears what he most wants is the opportunity to play for a championship, the fact he spurned a couple million bucks verifies the assertion.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...s.35567a6.html

[Wilfredo Ledezma]

But they have better bench production.

They have one bench player...Barbosa


6 deep, now that James Jones is gone

[luniz]

They have one bench player...Barbosa


6 deep, now that James Jones is gone

We won't have anybody when Dice is starting

[Glenn]

I got this link from a CWPF.

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs...127/SPORTS0102

Suns fit bill best for Hill

By Rob Parker

Grant Hill thought for sure he was coming back to Detroit.

It just seemed to be a perfect way to finish his career -- return to where it started and tie it up with a nice bow.

While Hill was certain he wasn't going to re-sign with the Magic, he also had no plans of retiring. Hill played so well, in fact, that most forgot about all the ankle injuries that derailed his once sky-is-the-limit NBA career.

Best of all, Motown -- which once felt jilted by Hill for accepting an offer with the Magic in 2000 -- was showing nothing but love for Hill. This past season, fans at The Palace cheered Hill like he was still a Piston. So, it seemed likely Hill would become Tayshaun Prince's backup at small forward, playing about 15 minutes a night for the chance at a title.

Detroit was tempting
"It was something very real, returning to Detroit," Hill said Thursday. "It was a real opportunity and something I had to weigh. I looked very hard at Detroit and had some great conversations and dialogue with Joe Dumars."

But something happened between those conversations with Dumars, the Pistons president, and the signing of a new deal. Offers poured in to a surprised Hill, 34. The best was from the Suns.

"I just thought it was the right fit for me at this point in my career," said Hill, who recently signed a two-year, $3.8 million contract. "(Detroit) was hard to turn down.

"I liked the organization, the coaching staff and personnel. It's a team that's knocking on the door but just hasn't gotten there in terms of winning a championship."

Many teams believed Hill was a missing piece to getting the job done. Without identifying teams, Hill said he was offered other wonderful circumstances to continue his career. Some teams even wanted him to be a starter.

The deciding factor
"The truth of the matter is that there were a lot of other great situations," Hill said. "But ultimately, Phoenix was a good fit for me. I want to win a championship. That's why you play."

Hill would rather Pistons fans remember him as that unstoppable force who could do just about whatever he wanted before he was injured.

Remember, when the Pistons drafted Hill with the third overall pick in 1994, he was supposed to be the heir apparent to Michael Jordan's throne. Hill shared rookie-of-the-year honors with Jason Kidd.

Granted, it never materialized. Hill's Pistons never got out of the first round of the playoffs. But in a lot of ways, Hill was like Barry Sanders. Both did the best they could and were worth the price of admission -- even if their teams weren't always good.

"Yeah, I won championships in college, made All-Star teams, and won a gold medal in the Olympics," Hill said. "But to come back and get that kind of love was amazing."

No wonder Hill almost came back.

[Uncle Mxy]

I so want a Pistons-Phoenix Finals match, to stick it to Grant Hill.