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Whenever a player comes back from injury, even if he only misses a week or so, coaches usually expect he'll need some time to find his legs, his rhythm, to get readjusted.
Even George Hill, it seems, isn't rustproof.
The Jazz point guard has logged three different extended stays on the injury report-two weeks with a sprained thumb, a month with a sprained toe, and a week because of a concussion-during his first season in Salt Lake City.
Each time he has returned to the court, however, Hill has managed to keep his production high.
"He's one of those guys that just doesn't get out of shape," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said.
Hill is averaging 18.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists over 16 games this season. In his three games since returning from a concussion, he has averaged 15.6 points, 4 rebounds and 5.3 assists.
"I feel super rusty," he said. "I think personally, as a player, for myself I feel off."
Hill is still dealing with some soreness in his left big toe though he said he doesn't feel hampered by it. Still, he feels has has some rust to knock off to get back to the level that made him the Western Conference player of the week early in the season.
"Everything," he said when asked what feels off about his game. "Your rhythm, your timing, your shot preparation, things like that. Your wind, your body gets tired faster. It's a lot of things that goes into that. They're all there."
In the Stars
Jazz guard Alec Burks and Raul Neto both played for the D-League Salt Lake City Stars on Wednesday night. Neto nearly notched a triple-double, with 4 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Burks scored 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting.
"Yeah. I'm fast," Burks said, when it was suggest that his acceleration seemed as good as ever. "… That's what I guess [the Jazz] wanted to see."
Snyder, who attended the game at Salt Lake Community College, said the most important thing for Burks was simply to get an extended run on the court as he works his way back from ankle surgery.
"I think his fatigue showed," Snyder said. "But I liked him being aggressive and just having an opportunity to get out there and play some basketball."
Previewing the Pistons
After two nights off, the Jazz resume action Friday night against a Detroit Pistons squad that beat them both times they faced a season ago.
"They're a good team," Snyder said, "and a team that because of their physicality can present problems for us in a lot of ways."
Pistons center Andre Drummond is average 14.7 points and 13.4 rebounds a game. But it's point guard Reggie Jackson who "killed us last year," Snyder said. Jackson averaged 24 points between the two contests.
The game is set for 8:30 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN.
Twitter: @aaronfalk