OKC Thunder hang on for win, Bazely breaks out in 3 takeaways
By Ryan Lewis
Horford and Hill prove their worth as veterans for OKC Thunder
It’s likely that neither Horford nor Hill will be in an OKC Thunder jersey come the trade deadline, but it doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the veteran pair while we have them.
If last year’s experiment proved anything, it’s that younger Thunder players benefit from having a veteran presence on the team. Chris Paul took a young group to the playoffs, and during the run, we saw the maturation and development of the Thunder’s future.
This year, Horford and Hill take over as mentors.
When the pair are on the court for the Thunder, they’re proving they’ve still got plenty of basketball left in them.
Horford’s offensive production, so far, is the lowest it has been since his rookie season but just slightly lower than last year’s season in Philadelphia. From 3-point range, Horford is shooting more at 5.3 attempts per game and making more at two per game than he has since his time in Boston in 2017-18 when he shot 42.9 percent from deep.
Horford is also averaging more rebounds per game at 7.5 than he has since his 2013-14 season with Atlanta when he pulled down 8.4 per game.
Hill, on the other hand, is completely erupting during his time with the Thunder.
In four games, Hill is averaging 15.3 points per game for the Thunder, his highest total since the 2016-17 season with Utah where he averaged 16.9 points per game. Although the season is still young, should he maintain his production, Hill will post his third-highest points per game average since he entered the league in 2008.
Hill is shooting 56.1 percent from the field — the highest of his career — and is hitting 45 percent from 3-point range while shooting more from deep than he has in his career.
Statistically, Horford and Hill are still producing at an NBA level but where the veterans’ value really shows is in leadership and experience for the young Thunder players, both on and off the court.