NBA Draft 2013: Solomon Hill the Jack of all Trades

Solomon Hill projects to be a mid-to-late second round draft pick. He's not the quickest player in the draft. He's not the fastest player in the draft. He's not the highest leaper or the maximum leaper.

But he was amongst the top twenty in three of these categories at the NBA combine; asserting himself as one of the combine's more unique athletes. Because he's got a little bit of each of those abilities. And because it's long been thought that Solomon Hill's game has a little bit of everything.

Last season Hill was amongst the top three Wildcats in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals, and blocks. He lead the team in ORtg amongst those with at least a 20% usage rate and, in a draft filled with few stars, Hill has demonstrated he can play many roles. He's played - and well - the four and the three for the Wildcats and guarded each of those, too. In 2011-12, a season in which the Wildcats' next largest contributor was the 6'7" Jesse Perry, Hill lead the team in rebounding because they needed him to. As a freshman, Hill made four three pointers. As a senior, Hill made fifty-seven three pointers.

Solomon Hill would seem to embody the idea of just a good old fashioned ball player. Throw in the combine results and measurements and it would lead one to believe that the kid just might be an athlete, too. Best of both worlds?

Alas, Hill possesses no skill to suggest he'll be drafted amongst the ping-pong balls or even remotely close to those names. But that was never going to be the case. The Los Angeles native will be the quintessential pick to fill the second and third quarters; defend an assortment of players both big and small; and hit his open shots. Essentially the same things he was asked to do throughout his Wildcat career. The hurdles, of course, stem from the fact that he's a Jack-of-all-trades...master of none.

His team-by-team workouts have gone well and he should offer a level of maturity to a team in need of cracks filled. Which of course suggests he's a great candidate for a veteran-type team. I've seen comparisons to Draymond Green who made his impact as injuries began to thin-out the Warriors. He doubled his scoring output in the playoffs while also grabbing an additional rebound and dishing an additional assist per game. I imagine most teams would take that from their second round pick.

And it was Green's versatility and experience that made him a valuable second round asset. At Michigan State, Green put up 11/7/3 for his Spartan career. At Arizona, Hill put up 10/6/2. Jacks of all trades.

[Insert requisite Kawhi Leonard reference here]

In a draft lacking star power, GMs, scouts, and talent evaluators will be seeking the best possible value for their money. In that case, they've got to appreciate Solomon Hill.