What Must George Hill Improve in 2014?

Dec 2, 2013; Portland, OR, USA; Indiana Pacers point guard George Hill (3) drives to the basket on Portland Trail Blazers center Robin Lopez (42) and point guard Damian Lillard (0) during the first quarter of the game at the Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers were able to make the Eastern Conference Finals for the second time in as many years last season, but fell once again to the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, the Pacers are not expected to make it to their third straight Conference Finals. They lost both Lance Stephenson and Paul George this offseason, and those were by far their best two players last season.

Outside of those two players, the Pacers didn’t seem to have anyone that could consistently finish out games down the stretch. David West was one of the players that did from time to time, and he will be asked to do so once again this year. George Hill was one of the most disappointing players last season, and he has the potential to turn things around this year and get his career back on track.

Indiana desperately wanted him to become more aggressive last season, but it just didn’t happen. If Hill wants to have a winning season in 2014, he is going to have to step up in a big way.

What does Hill have to improve this season in order to reach his full potential?

Quite simply, he needs to become the aggressive scorer that he has shown himself to be in the past. When he was playing with the San Antonio Spurs and even in his first year with the Pacers, he showed the ability to score the ball at a high level. He can shoot three-point shot and get to the rim, and also has a good mid-range game and an effective floater/

Hill also need to become much more consistent as a starting point guard if the Pacers are going to compete for a playoff spot. They will need Hill to help make his teammates better around him, which will be much easier said than done. He hasn’t shown the ability to play the point guard position since arriving in Indiana, and that is a question mark heading into this year.

All of that being said, it comes down to Hill needing to improve nearly every single aspect of his game from last season. He showed some signs of being the scorer that he has been in the past, but he needs to actually be aggressive and make things happen on the court. It will be interesting to see what Hill does with the increased role, especially with the keys to the offense being handed to him.

Expect to see a much improved version of Hill, and to see him be the number one scoring option this year.