This morning, I wrote about the performance of L.A.'s "wild cards" through the first four games of the postseason. The most consistent and impactful has been forward Jordan Hill, who has three 10-plus rebound games, and two double-doubles.
Sunday, he was critical to the Lakers' winning effort in Game 4, hauling down seven offensive rebounds (11 overall), and scoring 12 points. He joined 710 ESPN's Mason and Ireland Show this afternoon, talking among other things about...
His late entry into the rotation: "I definitely know I can produce every time I’m on the floor. It’s just, coming in, almost at the end of the season and playoffs coming up, it’s definitely going to be hard to just come in and start playing right away. I got to learn the system. The team chemistry was already formed. So, it was just me just keep working and when my number was called just go out there and do what I had to do."
His learning curve after arriving in Los Angeles in the deadline deal sending Derek Fisher to Houston: "Definitely offense [was harder to learn]. We have a lot of plays. We definitely have a lot of plays and we definitely have a lot of options on every play. So, for me, I had to learn the 4 and the 5 spot, so that was definitely a hard transition coming in. But, you know, I just tried to stay after every practice and shootaround, watch film on our plays. Go up and down the floor learning the plays with the players. Just doing the things that will help me keep the plays embedded in my head when I’m out on the floor."
The art of reading ball flight in effective glass work: "I try to use my legs most of the time, but also I got a good eye on if a ball is going to come out of the rim and where it’s going to land if it comes off the rim. I just try to stay patient and try to move my guy, try to box him out and move him under the rim as much as possible. But, like I said, I got a good eye of how and where the ball is going to go."