Jerry Brewer of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Grant Hill may finally be back. After some five-on-five games last week, Hill was attacking the basket. Teammate Darrell Armstrong was impressed.

He looks like his old self again," Armstrong said. "He's quick. I'll tell you what -- he's quicker than the last two years watching him when he first came back. He's really quick. He's still got that first step. He got his first step back."

"It's going to get even better," Armstrong said. "He looks good."

Hill is trying to come back from an ankle injury he suffered with Detroit in the 1999-2000 season. Two missed years and three surgeries later, he may finally be back to his former self. "I have a lot to prove," Hill says. "I want to show that I can still play at a high level. I don't think I've lost my skills. I think I can be even better than I was before."

"I know the responsibility, the challenge," says Hill, whose methodical, conservative rehabilitation has sped up to playing five-on-five fullcourt with teammates the past few weeks. "I'm ready. I have faith in myself. I think if I can stay healthy, I can help this team. Part of winning a championship is being lucky, not having to go through injuries. You figure some luck has to go our way. I feel good."