Grant Hill has long been an admirer of the growth of basketball in Canada. From his time playing in nearby Detroit and the fact his wife, singer Tamia, is Canadian, Hill has been familiar with the hoops scene in the North for some time.
The seven-time all-star turned Turner Sports NBA analyst will be calling the Toronto Raptors-Milwaukee Bucks first-round series for NBA TV in the United States. Hill took some time from prepping for the series to chat with Sportsnet about the Greek Freak, the Raptors’ trade deadline moves, Kyle Lowry’s impending free agency and how Toronto matches up with the Bucks and potentially even the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Sportsnet: How do the Toronto Raptors matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks?
Grant Hill: I think it’ll be a good matchup. The Raptors have had a great season, the first time in franchise history with back-to-back 50-win seasons. Then Milwaukee has the emergence of a great player who really does it all. How they can neutralize a really dynamic force and Milwaukee’s bench now being so much stronger than in years’ past is the question.
It’s going to be a challenge. It’s not like you can look past this Milwaukee team if you are Toronto. They are more than capable of coming out and playing great basketball. Their bench is good, they lead the Eastern conference in points in the paint. So they are a formidable opponent and a difficult opponent for a team like Toronto.
SN: What has impressed you about the additions of Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker?
GH: You almost got a sense that those guys were exactly what they needed. I really think that becomes more apparent and obvious once we get into the playoffs.
I think Ibaka is someone who I don’t know if he was comfortable with his role and the expectations in Orlando. Most of his career he played with two great players and he’s figured out how to fit in and be that third or fourth option bringing toughness, defence, leadership. In Toronto, he’s done that and been able to slide into that position very well.
And then Tucker is just a guy that I’m not sure they had. Obviously DeMarre Carroll came in and they paid him a lot of money and he struggled last year with his injuries. He’s been a little bit more consistent this year, but Tucker just gives them another weapon on the defensive end and plays within himself. He’s not a guy that needs the ball in his hands. He has a nice corner jump shot, plays hard.
So, when you start looking and surveying the rest of the Eastern conference, the matchup with Giannis or if you were to get to LeBron in the next round, you have reinforcements that can guard somebody on the perimeter and bring a toughness defensively.
I really think because of their experience, because of their roles and because of their dynamics in the post-season their impact is going to be felt on the positive end once the playoffs start.
[relatedlinks]
SN: Giannis Antetokounmpo being from Greece headlines the 54 international players from 28 countries on the active rosters of playoff teams. What does that say about the growth of the game internationally?
GH: It speaks to the efforts of the league over the last 25 years to globalize the game. Almost 25 per cent of the league is players that were born from a foreign country. So, you really are getting a sample of the best players from all over the world, not just the United States.
SN: There are five Canadians in the playoffs. When you played at times there weren’t even five Canadians in the league. What do you attribute the increase of players in Canada to?
GH: I think Vince Carter was a big part of that. The influence of young Canadian players growing up and watching Vince Carter with the Raptors and Steve Nash, who never played for the Canadian NBA teams but was the pride and joy as a hometown guy, embodied the spirit of Canada and represented the country well. Him going on to win back-to-back MVPs was big.
The contributions of those two guys impacted not just the popularity of the sport from a fan’s perspective, but the grassroots level showing there is an opportunity for these kids to one day to make it. There has been a lot of people behind this movement and it is fun to see. You’re seeing it now with the wealth of Canadian born and bred players.
SN: How do the crowds in Toronto compare to the best in-arena atmospheres from around the league?
GH: They’ve been great. There is a real sense of pride not just in Toronto but the entire country of Canada. After some initial success and then some tough lean years, the resurgence now has captivated the whole country. That’s engaging and endearing and truly special. One of the real unique fan bases in the NBA. You feel it in the playoffs when you’re at the games and it is pretty remarkable.
SN: I’ve made the argument this is the year Toronto has the best shot and is capable of slaying the dragon that is Cleveland. What’s your perspective on a potential rematch?
GH: I think so. I think they played them pretty well last year. Cleveland was as together last season as I’ve seen that group over the course of the last three seasons. They were sharp, they were all on the same page, they were shooting the ball well, they were defensively really good.
This year they’ve struggled. There is still a chance they could flip that switch in the post-season. It appears like they are not as strong or as feared as they were at this time last season.
With some of the reinforcements and the emergence of DeMar DeRozan playing at a great level and Lowry getting back to form, Carroll is healthy, they can give them a run for their money. That would be great second-round matchup in the Eastern Conference, if it were to happen.
SN: Last year’s post-season had the cloud of DeRozan’s impending free agency hanging over it. This year the debated decision is about Kyle Lowry. How do you see it playing out?
GH: I think everything is out of whack and it takes a minute to see everyone’s value because of the influx of money into the system. Kyle Lowry has been a great player and been one of the first free agents that opted to be there and said, “I want to be in Canada.”
I think they have some tough decisions. I think he probably wants to be there. His profile has grown off the court there and become a star. I think he feels valued and appreciated there and I think they want him back.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.