Alec Burks, George Hill (Finally) Participate in Utah Jazz Practice
The Utah Jazz are in the West’s Top 8, but injuries have cost them several wins. Their luck could soon change with Alec Burks and George Hill returning to practice.
Heading into the Christmas break, the Utah Jazz were charged with one job in order to right the ship. After losing three straight games with a skeleton crew, the solution to the team’s biggest problem was obvious — they needed to rest up and get healthy.
Apparently they’ve been doing just that.
When the team returned to practice on Monday, they did so with a bigger group than usual. Alec Burks, who has only played in 58 out of 195 possible games dating back to the 2014-15 season thanks to a myriad of injuries, was a partial participant at practice.
It marked the first time he was able to participate since his most recent surgery on November 1. Burks hasn’t appeared in an actual game since last April. While there is still no exact timetable for his return, the light practice was a positive development in what has been a lengthy process.
Status updates from today's practice on George Hill, Alec Burks, Derrick Favors and Rodney Hood: https://t.co/B9UXxKwNYt
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) December 26, 2016
Said Rodney Hood: “It was great to see him out there. We didn’t do too much, but he looked good in what we were doing. He was moving well. So I don’t know really what’s the timetable [for Burks’ return] but it’s just great to have him out there on the floor.”
Speaking of Hood, Utah’s starting shooting guard was also at practice and will likely be in action when the team takes on the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. He struggled with illness in the three games leading up to the recent break.
However, Burks and Hood weren’t the only ones to return to the court. George Hill, who has missed 20 games already this season, was also a partial participant in practice.
After injuring his thumb early in the season, Hill has been contending with a sprained toe for several weeks. While the Jazz have been able to cobble together some wins in his absence, they’ve definitely missed his production. On the year, Hill is averaging 20 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Burks, meanwhile, averaged 13.3 points and 3.5 rebounds in 31 games last season. Hood is checking in at just under 15 points per game in 2016-17.
It’s taken awhile, but we may just be on the verge of seeing this iteration of the Utah Jazz as it was originally envisioned. With mid-season fast approaching and the playoff race set to heat up, a return to health can’t come soon enough for the Jazz.
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Now let’s all go and knock on wood until it happens.
