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How injured players did in their returns
Grant Hill
Nov. 3, 2004 vs. Milwaukee Bucks: 20 points, 10/21 FG, 32:51
When Grant Hill signed with the Orlando Magic, it was with extreme fanfare. This was the superstar player making the move to Orlando, alongside a young precocious budding star in Tracy McGrady. Even though the team missed out on Tim Duncan, the Magic felt like they had formed their own superteam.
These were two dynamic wings who could define the very weak Eastern Conference for the next seven years — both players signed seven-year contracts.
Magic fans know that never came to fruition. The four years with McGrady never materialized because of the injuries Hill faced.
Hill coming off the plane to sign his contract on crutches nursing an ankle injury suffered in the previous season and played through in the Playoffs with the Detroit Pistons, proved to be a foreshadowing of his time with Orlando.
He and McGrady played fewer than 40 games together. Hill started off fine but played just four games that first season in 2001. He came back to play just 14 the following year and then 29 the next year before he missed the entire 2004 season.
McGrady lost patience waiting and asked for a trade as the Magic began to rebuild.
That is when Grant Hill actually came back, paired with Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley and a rookie Dwight Howard, and he actually looked like a solid player. Although certainly not the spectacular player he was before the injury.
That first year back, Hill averaged 19.7 points per game on 50.9 percent shooting. He appeared in 69 games.
The first of those games was the season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks — a game that ended with Steve Francis hitting a buzzer-beating layup to send the TD Waterhouse Centre into hysterics.
Hill had a strong showing in that game. He scored 20 points on 10-for-21 shooting. The only mark against him was four turnovers. But he had played so little, who could blame him for a few mistakes?
Hill was obviously a bigger star and someone who could score and be methodical. But this was a great first step for him to help a young team stay competitive that season. Hill’s first season back was full of some starts and stops. But he proved he could still be effective as the Magic slowly climbed back into contention.