By Andrew Dubowec 

It seems like yesterday that Grant Hill and ex-Raptor Tracy McGrady arrived as free agents in the Magic Kingdom with aspirations of becoming the next NBA dynasty.

Even though there were whispers around the NBA that the Detroit Pistons medical staff believed Hill’s ankle injury was more serious than Hill’s agent led on, Magic GM John Gabriel rolled the dice and signed him to a max contract.

                  

That roll of the dice came up snake eyes. Hill remained injured, Gabriel was shown the door and T-Mac asked to be traded a few years later.

While Hill still believed in Orlando, it’s well known that he only played exactly 200 games in the Sunshine State over six seasons, while enduring more surgeries than we saw in an entire season of House.

Fast forward to 2007 and Grant Hill will soon be a free agent again. There is plenty of talk here in the Big Smoke and by Grant himself indicating that Toronto may be a preferred destination for one of the NBA’s consummate professionals. Before Grant and his Canadian wife Tamia returns to her home province of Ontario, there are a couple of simple questions that Raptors management must ask.

(1) Is Grant Hill really worth the money?

(2) Is he really what the Raptors need?

Before we answer these questions, it is important to consider the potential value Mr. Hill would bring to the Raptors.

First is his pedigree. A graduate of Duke and the son of former Dallas Cowboy star running back, Calvin Hill – Grant is married to Tamia, who is a four time Grammy nominee. Hill brings leadership and experience, something that the Raptors can use more of. Hill was a perennial all-star during his years with the Detroit Pistons, is a former Rookie of the Year, and an Olympic Gold Medalist. He arguably brings intangibles, class and leadership at a level which this franchise has yet to see.

Second, the man can still score. Last year, Hill shot a sparkling 51.9% from the field and dropped in 14.4 points per game in just over 30 minutes of court time. While the Raptors do not necessarily need more scoring, Hill would be another threat helping to spread the floor and punish teams who attempt to double-team Chris Bosh.

Finally, Grant Hill has made a name for himself by playing the complete game, often leading his team in several statistical categories such as points, rebounds, and assists. Last year he added 3.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and a block per game.

Hill Looks Good, But Is This What The Raptors Need?

While at first glance this looks impressive, the truth is that Grant Hill is not worth the money he will command. He does not fit the Raptors needs.

If the Raptors were to sign Grant Hill they would have to offer him a contract at the full mid-level exemption for around 3 years. Let’s be realistic. When the 2007-2008 season starts, Grant Hill will be 35 years old and the last time he played more than 70 games in a season was during the 1999-2000 campaign.

Injuries have plagued Hill’s career since his arrival in Orlando and in all honesty, there is no reason to expect this will change.

Performance is another issue with Hill, and even though his numbers seem quite good, his Player Efficiency Rating (PER) has dropped consistently over the past few years and last year went from 19.06 to 16.33.

When considering the Raptors needs for 2007-08 and beyond, Grant Hill really fills none of them – other than he would add valued leadership and experience.

Defensively, where the Raptors need more help, Grant Hill is even worse. His lateral quickness has been significantly limited by his several ankle injuries, making him a liability on the defensive end. Something the Raptors can ill afford.

While Grant Hill is a superb scorer, he is not a quality outside shooter. Since Sam Mitchell likes to spread the floor and play along the perimeter, Hill’s dismal ‘06-07’ 16.7% 3-point field goal percentage would allow teams to collapse their defense taking their chances with his shot. He’s a 25.1% career shooter behind the arc.

Finally, Hill adds nothing really new to the team. He is essentially an older, more fragile, less defensively-inclined version of Anthony Parker. The Raptors would be better served acquiring a younger, more athletic player that can play above the rim, drive the lane, and be active on the defensive end.

Adding Hill would also reduce playing time for some of the Raptors younger players specifically Carlos Delfino who could really flourish in Toronto’s “international” system.

Overall, Grant Hill is not the answer for the Raptors. Maybe the team’s reported interest in him is nothing more than a smoke screen by Bryan Colangelo in hopes of finding their true solution.

While I respect Grant Hill, he is too far ‘Over The Hill’ for my liking. The Raptors should pass.