Jordan Hill injury: Could return by late April

Jordan Hill could return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup in late April, reports Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News:

It remains a long shot, but Lakers forward Jordan Hill said doctors have told him there’s a slim possibility he could return in late April or early May after spending the past two months rehabbing from a surgically repaired left hip.

While it's a "long shot", it's still better than no shot, which has been the outlook since Hill underwent hip surgery in late January. Hill tore a labrum in his hip early January and eventually the Lakers' training staff deemed it necessary for him to undergo a surgical procedure.

Hill has been rehabilitating by having sessions on elliptical and bike machines, but has not participated in any basketball drills. Should Hill make a return late in April it would be during the Lakers' playoff run, as their final game of the season is April 17. In three weeks Hill will reevaluate the possibility of making his return with team doctors.

The Lakers have been trying to piece through a shorthanded frontcourt rotation, but should soon have Pau Gasol back in the starting lineup. Gasol did suffer a setback, but there has been no official word on how it will affect his return timetable.

Adding Hill into the frontcourt could certainly help Mike D'Antoni balance out his rotation, as the Lakers would have a handful of players who can play both the center and power forward positions interchangably, as opposed to only one true center and two or three faux-centers to use as a stopgap.

- Drew

- Follow this author on Twitter @DrewGarrisonSBN

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