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Solomon Hill to miss 6-8 months after tearing hamstring

By Brendon Kleen

PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 13: Solomon Hill #44 of the New Orleans Pelicans gets introduced before the game against the Phoenix Suns on February 13, 2017 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - FEBRUARY 13: Solomon Hill #44 of the New Orleans Pelicans gets introduced before the game against the Phoenix Suns on February 13, 2017 at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The New Orleans Pelicans announced on Sunday that forward Solomon Hill, whom the team signed last summer to a four-year contract, will miss six to eight months recovering from surgery to repair a torn hamstring.

A full timetable for recovery has yet to be announced, but six to eight months would land Hill right around the end of the regular season. After a successful surgery, the return date will be based upon rehabilitation and recovery.

The injury will leave the Pelicans, who were already shallow on the wing, in a murky situation heading into training camp. The team focused on finding guard depth this offseason, signing Ian Clark and Rajon Rondo, but failed to add a player of Hill’s size to play behind him. Furthermore, they have so far been unable to re-sign forward Dante Cunningham, whose size allowed the Pelicans to successfully play small when one of DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis left the game.

Hill appeared in the most games of any Pelican last season, playing in 80 of 82 contests. Now, the team must try to replace that consistency. As it stands today, New Orleans will rely on the smaller E’Twaun Moore or the unproven Darius Miller to fill in for Hill if they cannot acquire a player to soak up his minutes.

The Pelicans are up against the hard cap after re-signing Jrue Holiday and adding Clark, Rondo and Miller. That means they can offer only the league minimum to any free agent left on the market. In an important season ahead of DeMarcus Cousins’ free agency, the Pelicans may look to the trade market, offering an asset in return for Hill’s replacement.

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Last season, the 26-year-old was second on the team in Defensive Box Plus-Minus, a statistic that uses box score numbers to estimate a player’s impact on his team’s defense per 100 possessions. New Orleans will need a player to mirror Hill’s productivity to return to their top-ten status on defense last season.

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