Hill working on leadership skills

After a breakout sophomore season that made him co-runner-up in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player, the next step in guard George Hill's development is on-court leadership.

The Spurs' coaching staff wants Hill to be more assertive and vocal on the court — not an easy transition for a player who prefers to let his game do the talking.

After leading all scorers in Sunday's public scrimmage at the AT&T Center, Hill made it clear his game still shouts. The combo guard from IUPUI made six of 12 shots and all eight of his free throws, scoring 20 points in a 48-minute Black vs. Silver game played with a running clock.

The vocal leader role remains a work in progress.

“(I've added) a little bit of maturity, something Coach (Gregg Popovich) wanted me to really focus on: being more vocal out there and being more of a leader and not always just taking a backseat. That's something I've tried to do by watching video and just talking to some of the players on the team and also working with (assistant coach) Jacque Vaughn. That's helped me tremendously. I give them all the credit.”