Lakers Players Spotlight: Roy Hibbert
- Updated: September 23, 2015
As part of our NBA coverage heading into the 2015-2016 season the CaliSports team is taking a look at the rosters of both the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. For today’s edition I want to look at the new acquired Roy Hibbert.
2014 Statistics
10.6 Ppg
7.1 RPG
1.6 BLK
45% FG
Roy Hibbert was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers from Indiana this offseason. After the Lakers swung and miss on big name free agents they moved quickly to try and make something out of the disappointment of the summer. The Hibbert trade is very similar to the Jeremy Lin trade of the 2014 summer. The Pacers were looking to shed some salary and the Lakers looking to solidify the middle and give Hibbert a chance to revive his career.
Hibbert’s career has taken a turn for the worst in recent years. When the Pacers were at their peak in 2011, and 2012 Hibbert was receiving a lot of high praise. Pacers head coach Frank Vogel knew that his team could not keep pace with LeBron James and the Miami Heat so they slowed the game down tremendously. The Pacers funneled everything to the rim where Hibbert was able to use his length and size to alter shots at a high rate. The “vertically” rule was a testament to his great fundamental defense.
His play in 2012 warranted the Portland Trail Blazers to offer him a “max deal” in which the Pacers ultimately matched. The deal was worth 4 years 58 million dollars. Hibbert has also been named to the All-Star team twice. I’m saying all of this to illustrate that Hibbert was known as a defense anchor much like DeAndre Jordan is considered now. But what happen?
He recently did open up about having some mental health issues. Here is an excerpt from in interview that he had with ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.
“Mental health is a subject Hibbert doesn’t seem to enjoy discussing. His words come slowly, each carefully chosen. At times, it seems like there’s more he wants to say, but he doesn’t. He has his reasons, which he declines to share. But Hibbert is interested in the field. He says he first visited a psychologist when he boarded at Georgetown Prep, where he was one of the top high-school prospects in the nation.
“I was a black kid in an all-white school, so I had to deal with some of that stress and pressure,” Hibbert told ESPN.com in November 2014. “If I didn’t do that back in high school, I probably wouldn’t be open to it later on.”
He was also an only child, sheltered by two parents who each worked multiple jobs, and admittedly socially awkward, spending much of his time playing video games.”
Hibbert lost a lot of confidence during his tenure with Pacers and I believe this was the cause to the bitter end of his days there. It does worry me a little that he has these issues because Los Angeles isn’t exactly an easy or friendly place to be in a drought. Lakers fans used to boo Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’neal during their championship days if they weren’t playing well. I can only imagine how they will feel the first time someone bad scores on Hibbert.
But at the same time there has been multiple reports of Hibbert taking basketball more seriously this offseason. He’s lost weight to help his mobility and he is mentally prepared to lead the Laker defense. With players like Nick Young and Lou Williams who aren’t necessarily committed to defense it will be important for the Lakers success that Hibbert is at his best.
This is the ultimate try-out for Roy. If he plays well he could make Los Angeles a home much like Young a did a few years ago. The NBA is getting away from bigman but if Hibbert can return to form trading a second round pick for him will be a steal.
I expect Hibbert to lead the defense and since I’m currently reading Dean Oliver‘s Basketball on Paper book, I’ll look at the Lakers defensive rating this year vs. last year to evaluate Hibbert’s production.
What do you guys expect from Hibbert this season? Comment below!
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