Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill needs knee surgery, out for season

Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill could be done for the season with a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery.

Hill, 39, underwent arthroscopic surgery on the knee in September. The newspaper reports that he will be sidelined until at least mid-April, if not longer.

The oldest player in the league, Hill is averaging 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Suns. Phoenix, at 25-26, is two games out of the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"He's our glue guy," Suns guard Jared Dudley told the Republic. "He calms us defensively. He's the best defensive player. He's the one who guarded (the Clippers’) Chris Paul at home and slowed him down. Offensively, he is efficient and gets out on the break and that makes other people guard him and open up 3-pointers. He posts up and makes the extra pass."

—Suns have responded to Gentry's rant

According to the Republic, Hill said he took a hit to the right knee two weeks ago and then again Sunday while taking a charge in Cleveland. He missed part of that game and Tuesday's and Wednesday's losses, missing consecutive games for the first time since January 2011.

Meanwhile, the Tucson Citizen reported that moving laterally was the issue with the knee.

“It was a little sore, and we weren’t going to take any chance on it,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry said Wednesday, according to the Tucson newspaper. “We just don’t want to do anything that’s not very smart. I think he knows his body, and I told him we don’t want to take any risks.”

Hill has missed five games this season, but two were for rest in the middle of back-to-back-to-back sets. Hill missed three games in the previous three seasons combined.