Solo Season - How Solomon Hill Has Emerged As A Leader For The Memphis Grizzlies On And Off Of The Court

Heading into the days before the Memphis Grizzlies training camp, many including myself, assumed that Solomon Hill would be one of the odd men out as far as roster crunching was concerned. Since he was introduced to the city on Media Day, I - as well as many others, have been forced to take a 180 on him.

After signing a 4 year/$48 million contract with the New Orleans Pelicans back in 2016, Solomon Hill sort of became a meme so to speak as the poster child for head-scratching contracts that summer. As one of the first to wear the now-banned 'samurai headbands,' he was also infamous for the particular way that he wore his that mimicked wearing a 'durag' that is used to achieve wavy hair.

Players gotta go the Solomon Hill route now and try the durag during games pic.twitter.com/3bPm6DDgWO
— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) September 9, 2019

That was all that I could tell you about Solomon Hill - questionable contract, wore a durag-esque headband, lit the Grizzlies up a few seasons ago, came over in the Parsons trade. But after hearing him actually open his mouth on Media Day, I knew that he would be more - much more for the Grizzlies.

Hill was and is an amazing interview. He's humble, he's smart, he knows the game. He was able to take my question about his durag headband and turn it into a legit thought piece on the NBA missing out on an opportunity to embrace the culture and capitalize on the potential revenue that could come with that acceptance. He is a veteran player that is fine with being whatever he has to be for his team - even if that means deferring to and helping to mentor much younger players.

Hill is an old soul. He is only 28 years old but he is clearly wise beyond his years. If you enter the locker room after the game, you can see and hear his effect on the team. He will often jokingly interject into the younger players questions. Whether it's a "Don't answer that Jaren!" or a "hell yeah that was a bad call on Jaren!" - you will often hear Hill not just going through the motions but embracing his young teammates.

Hill was ecstatic after the team's latest victory at home against the Washington Wizards and showed how much he enjoys playing with his young "GRZ NEX GEN" teammates.

“The next gen. You know what I’m saying? The next gen was unleashed tonight!" Hill said excitedly. "When you got Ja (Morant) and B. (Brandon) Clarke…you know we saw what B. Clarke did when he first came back and his ability to change the game. And Ja – I think Ja’s ability to change the game has been proven. But that next gen – that’s the reason why they got that going, and it’s a big part of what we’re trying to do.”

Solomon Hill Locker Room Comments on GRZ NEX GEN

I think they bring a different energy that I think the game needs," Hill would say about his young teammates. "We are talking about transition basketball, talking about the pace of basketball being picked up, and you bring in two guys from the draft that can play immediately in Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke and add that to what Jaren Jackon Jr. is able to bring to the table.

"They are coming in at a great time where they can play all different types of basketball," Hill would add. "Brandon Clarke is having a great night field goal percentage-wise, Ja is bringing the ball up the court with dynamic pace. To be a part of that is something that's unique. Sometimes a rebuild gets a little ugly before you see the good side of things but those guys have come in and have been ready to play."

Hill's value to the team has also been recognized and appreciated by Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Taylor as well who spoke on Hill's impact after their victory over Washington Saturday night.

“He’s been very impressive," Jenkins would say about Hill. "I think we’ve talked, all in all over the first couple months of the season, about his leadership. His daily work ethic every single day, his voice carries so much with this group. They lean on him a lot. For a coach to be able to lean on someone, whether it’s in a film session or at half time today about keeping the team locked in, he’s like, ‘I got you, Coach.’ His voice carries weight."

"He makes an impact," Jenkins would add, "Especially on the defensive end. He’s constantly communicating on the defensive end. He can guard different positions and execute multiple coverages. What I’ve loved about him is that he just goes out there and makes an impact. When you have someone that can just come in, make an impact off the floor or on the floor, it makes me feel very lucky. We’ve talked all along about our (veteran) group and how they’ve done that. He’s obviously part of that group, and our group is benefiting from it.”

Hill is averaging 6.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2 assists per game so far this season in roughly 20 minutes per game. His points average is the highest that it's been since the 2016-17 season. He is also shooting 39.5 percent from three-point range, which is the highest of his career and nearly 8 percent higher than last season. Hill has surely had a resurgence here in Memphis and credits his situation here as part of the reason why.

"Certain situations can bring out the best in people," Hill said. "I've been saying that since guys get drafted into this league. You can switch a couple of draft spots and end up being a Hall of Famer. It's just a unique situation and i feel like I'm a good position and Coach Jenkins has put me in a good position to be successful."

Hill, who is in the final year of his contract and is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, would also share his openness about returning to the Grizzlies next season.

"You know whatever happens I'm open to everything," Hill said. "If I've shown and proven to be a guy that they want to have be a part of this, then I definitely would look forward to it for sure."