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The list of guards who have given the Utah Jazz trouble this year has been growing longer in recent weeks: Lou Williams, Ty Lawson, Devin Booker, Goran Dragic, Kyle Lowry.

"You look around the league and those same guys you're talking about give everybody problems," Jazz forward Gordon Hayward said Friday morning. "But it's something that we're working on getting better at. And we'll have another one tonight."

Yep, Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson would have been a prime candidate to join the club and give the Jazz defense fits at Vivint Smart Home Arena — but not with George Hill back in the starting lineup.

Hill out-dueled his counterpart, scoring 22 points and helping limit Jackson to just 7 on 3-of-11 shooting, as the Jazz notched a 110-77 win over Detroit.

And the Jazz hope the return of Hill, who is back in the lineup but is still dealing with soreness in his left big toe as he works off the rust of a prolonged layoff, will help right the ship in the second half of the season when it comes to keeping opposing guards in check.

"He's an excellent defender on the ball and gives us some length at that spot," Hayward said.

A year ago, Jackson raced through the Jazz defense for the go-ahead layup as the Pistons beat the Jazz in Detroit to start last season. He followed that up by dropping 29 points on the Jazz last January in Salt Lake City.

"Reggie Jackson was the guy who killed us last year," Snyder said in the lead up to Friday's game.

This time Hill proved to be a difference maker.

Jackson went scoreless in the first quarter, missing his first four shots of the game. With Hill on the bench for a stretch of the second, Jackson went to the rack twice for a pair of lay-ins en route to seven points by halftime.

The Pistons point guard went scoreless in the second half, with Hill once again shadowing him.

Hill said this week he still feels "super rusty" and has not been pleased with his recent efforts.

"I think I'm my worst critic," Hill said. "I'm very critical of myself and really judge myself hard after games. The good part is a couple of them we've been winning. That's what's most important."

But the 6-foot-3 Hill is an "elite-level defender at the point," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. The Jazzman's long arms, quickness and ability to negotiate pick-and-roll situations have been sorely missed.

"He makes us better," Snyder said. "No question about it."

afalk@sltrib.com Twitter: @aaronfalk