George Hill has not played for the Utah Jazz since November 29th while tending to a sprained big toe in his left foot. Injuries in general have limited him to 11 appearances all season.
But he might be making appearance No. 12 on Thursday against the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon:
George Hill could return as soon as Thursday against the 76ers, according to a league source, confirming a Salt Lake Tribune report. Hill’s availability will be determined based on how he feels after a Wednesday workout. He has missed the last 13 games due to a sprained left big toe. The Jazz are 8-3 with Hill, who missed eight games in November due to a sprained right thumb.
This is potentially fantastic news for the Jazz, who, despite being on pace to flirt with 50 victories, could be so much better.
Not only are they 8-3 with Hill in the lineup, but they post what would be a league-best net rating by a mile, according to NBA.com. And the offense pumps in 7.6 points more per 100 possessions with Hill compared to without him.
So yes, his return is a big deal.
News of any return, in fact, is a huge deal for the Jazz.
According to Man Games Lost, they have been impacted by injuries more than any other team in the league:
NBA top 5, impact on teams by players lost to injury (Lost-vorp metric)
1 UTA
2 MEM
3 BOS
4 HOU
5 BRKhttps://t.co/OovqMdpviC— Man Games Lost NBA (@ManGamesLostNBA) December 18, 2016
Though this is discouraging on many levels, it’s also fairly encouraging. The Jazz are firmly entrenched in the playoff race despite injuries ripping through the roster, and many of their most popular lineups record top-flight net ratings.
Imagine what this team could do with anything that comes close to resembling a fully healthy roster.
