Jordan Hill injury: Lakers PF returns to practice

Jordan Hill went through non-contact drills in practice on Thursday for the first time since being diagnosed with a herniated disc in his back, Lakers.com reported on Thursday.

The 6'10 power forward re-signed with the Lakers in the offseason, but only made it through the first preseason game before his back flared up. Lakers head coach Mike Brown said it was good to see Hill back out on the court, but isn't sure when the trainers will allow him to play.

"(The trainers) haven't given a specific timetable yet, but I know they're taking this one step at a time," Brown said, acknowledging it will take some time to get him back into the groove of playing.

"He did everything that was non-contact, which was good, because it was the first time in awhile that he had a chance to go out there in script," Brown said. "For us, the way we're playing, he's got to know specific routes and reads, so there's a lot that he still needs to do to play catch up. He didn't do anything live."

Hill was traded to the Lakers at the trade deadline by the Rockets in exchange for point guard Derek Fisher and a first-round pick. Hill played in seven games during the regular season with the Lakers last year, averaging 4.7 points, 4.4 rebounds a game and 0.9 blocks a game.

He saw a bit more time during the playoffs, where he averaged 4.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 18.1 minutes a game.