Lakers Player Profile: Roy Hibbert

The Lakers endured resounding criticism this past week for their failed efforts to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, which was ironic since the team had very little chance of signing him all along. They had a huge void at the center position, and while they were waiting for Aldridge to make a decision, the top free agent prospects all signed elsewhere including their very own Ed Davis who had said he wanted to return. Those who were so quick to bury the Lakers, however, forgot that the offseason was not over and important moves were still possible as the Lakers were one of the only teams left with available cap space. When all seemed lost, or so the so-called experts proclaimed, the Lakers pulled off some welcomed moves in acquiring Roy Hibbert, Lou Williams and Brandon Bass, and they did it without giving up any significant assets to make it happen.

Aldridge was the best free agent available this offseason, but that did not mean he was the best fit for the Lakers. Aldridge is a power forward who does not want to play center. The Lakers needed a center since they already have a power forward in whom they are heavily invested, Julius Randle. If Aldridge joined the team, they would have tried to make it work but in reality there would have been no place for Randle. For this reason it was DeAndre Jordan who was the better fit, the player who would have filled the greater need. Unfortunately, by the time Aldridge said no, Jordan had already signed with another team — most likely he would have returned to his home state of Texas anyway.

Enter Hibbert, who was born and raised in New York and played for Georgetown where he earned first team All-Big East Conference honors. He was drafted 17^th by the Toronto Raptors in 2008 but was quickly traded to the Indiana Pacers for whom he played from 2008 through this past season. He was a key player on very good Pacer teams that were in strong contention in the East. He made the Eastern Conference All Star team in 2012. In Game 3 of the 2013 Eastern Conference Semifinals Hibbert scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in an important Pacers win. In Game 6, he had 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks while leading the Pacers to the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals. In 2014, not only was he voted again to the All Star team, he was runner-up for NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

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That was a mere two seasons ago. Unfortunately for the Pacers Paul George suffered a terrible injury and was lost for the 2015 season. The team’s fortunes sank for that reason, and others, and by season’s end it was clear that Indiana wanted to move in a different direction and that Hibbert needed his own new start. Now he will get that opportunity.

Hibbert can score but is known primarily as a defensive specialist, something the Lakers very badly need from a center. He is a perfect complement to Randle, who is not a shot blocker or rim protector. At 7’2” tall and 290 pounds, he is a presence in the middle that the Lakers really need. While Laker bashers in the media will try to tell us he was the team’s seventh choice this offseason, that is mere speculation and I suspect it is not close to being the truth. With all due respect to players such as Robin Lopez, Greg Monroe, and Kosta Koufos, how many All-Star games have they appeared in and how many post season games have the won? In terms of filling a need, one could argue if they could not get Jordan then Hibbert is the next best choice. In fact, Hibbert is much better than Jordan in at least one key part of the game:

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He made over 82% of his free throws this past season!

Hibbert is only 28 years old. That means he is still young and in his prime yet he has significant playoff experience and can be a solid veteran presence in the locker room. He can mentor younger players, especially Robert Upshaw, who Laker fans pray will be everything that has been advertised. Further, he has an expiring contract which means he will have every incentive to give his very best effort to secure his next deal while the Lakers maintain maximum flexibility to either keep him or not after this next season. Don’t listen to the naysayers: his acquisition by the Lakers, if not a home run, was a triple, and it could prove to be even more if Hibbert regains his All-Star form of two seasons ago.

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