Solomon Hill. You guys remember him, right? The Pelicans 26 year-old defensive stalwart has been out all season nursing a hamstring injury suffered late last summer. The hope remained throughout that the small forward would be able to make a comeback at some point this season. As recent news has suggested, not only do the New Orleans fan base not have a clue of when his return could come into fruition, but neither does Hill himself.
Monday, Solomon Hill played the role of guest on the New Orleans sports podcast “the Black and Blue Report.” Here, alongside host Sean Kelley, Hill discussed both the success the Pelicans have achieved thus far this season as well as his recovery from a hamstring injury sustained in August of last year. Hill went on to mention that his style of play requires his body to be fully recovered in order to be effective.
"“Of course I want to play. But one thing I do know is that playing defense is something that takes a lot of energy — Not just a lot of energy, but your body has to be in a good enough position for you to be successful out there.”"
MUST READ: Davis Confident DeMarcus Cousins Will Re-up With NOLA
He later went on to compare his situation to Milwaukee Bucks 3-and-D specialist Kris Middleton and what he went through two seasons ago. The swingman suffered a torn hamstring back in 2016 and underwent a similar procedure. When discussing how Middleton was able to comeback as good as ever after the surgery, Hill acknowledged that “everybody’s different.”
"“The tear’s not the same, the muscle and everything that’s torn off the bone. It’s two different guys that had the same similar type of surgery. And so that’s one thing I had to tell myself is that no matter how many weights I lift, how many times I can get on the court, it’s going to have to take time to heal on it’s own.”"
Though Middleton leaves hope for a successful Solomon Hill return this season, nothing is set in stone. Hill, during his time on the show, acknowledged the fantastic chemistry the team has formed in his absence. He brushed upon the teams incredibly efficient fast-paced scheme as well as their 10 wins in 11 games. As much as we want to see Hill come back onto the hardwood, would his return this season really make that big of an impact on a team playing as good as they have been?
Next: If MVP Actually Stands For “Most Valuable Player” Than The Award Should Go To Anthony Davis
While Hill mentioned that he has in-fact started participating in “two-a-days” he made sure to state he’s still a ways away from returning to in-game action. In fact, he even claimed that he may not be “100%” until next season. With this, an undesired black cloud has formed atop of the heads of hopefuls for Solomon Hills return.