What Indiana Pacers Need from Roy Hibbert Next Season
With Indiana Pacers star Paul George more than likely out for the season with a broken leg, it's time for Roy Hibbert to take his game to the next level.
Saying Hibbert struggled last season is putting it mildly.
His rebounding numbers were atrocious for a guy his size, and he could not seem to get the ball in the hoop no matter what he tried, posting his worst field-goal percentage ever. The player we saw in the 2013 playoffs was long gone.
But now, the seven-year vet has a chance to redeem—and perhaps reinvent—himself. The talent is there, and the time has come to put it all together.
We know what Hibbert can do defensively. His rim protection is the best in the Association, using his size and length to make it nearly impossible for scorers to get around him.
It's also incumbent upon Hibbert that he shows improvement on the offensive end. Without Lance Stephenson—who Indiana lost in free agency—and George, the Pacers will have to get creative in order to put points on the board.
Hibbert is a two-time All-Star, and while it's been primarily his defense that has garnered him attention and praise, he'll have to show he's a complete player this year to breathe some sort of life into the Pacers' season.
Improvement on the Boards
It starts with one of the more basic basketball fundamentals. Hibbert was the team's fourth-leading rebounder in 2013-14, with Stephenson and George each grabbing more rebounds than the big man.
The 7'2" center corralled just under 50 percent of his nightly 13.4 rebounding chances, per NBA.com's player tracking data. Of his 6.6 rebounds per game, half of them were contested, meaning an opponent was within 3.5 feet of the ball when he collected a miss.
Now, his low number can be attributed to George, Stephenson and West's higher outputs—Stephenson averaged seven per game, after all. However, George and Stephenson won't be there to corral a high volume of those misses again.
Their replacements may not fare very well, either. C.J. Miles has never averaged three rebounds per game, and the 2-guard spot is up in the air. It's probably safe to expect a decline in rebounding from the perimeter guys.
Hibbert could have his hands full if he has to box out and grab a majority of the rebounds. His 12.5 total rebound percentage during 2013-14 was the second worst of his career. For comparison's sake, Joakim Noah and Kevin Love—two of league's best at crashing the boards—were both above 18 percent last season.
That's not to say Hibbert has to be an elite rebounder, but there's no reason he shouldn't snatch at least nine every night. His size gives him a nice advantage, and it's something that will also provide an edge in another area.
Low-Post Presence
Hibbert is a big fella—over seven feet and nearly 290 pounds—so he should be able to have his way with just about anyone down low.
But the former Hoya didn't get the same looks as he did in previous years. During the 2013-14 season, Hibbert's attempts came eight feet away from the rim on average. That's 1.5 feet farther than 2012-13 and two more when compared to the year before.
It wasn't just his attempts, though, as Hibbert was receiving the ball farther away from the rim. Of the 40 touches he averaged per game, only 6.3 came within 12 feet of the basket, per NBA.com.
Indiana has to change this by putting its center in better positions. It can isolate him on the low block and let him work from there. Hibbert has a very solid hook shot, and his physique should allow him to get good position against most centers in the league.
The video shows an example of where Hibbert was when Indiana entered the ball in the post.
The Pacers will probably have to become an inside-scoring team, relying on West and Hibbert to provide a bulk of the points. Without George and Stephenson—their main perimeter threats a year ago—they really have no other choice.
However, the Pacers will need more than scoring from Hibbert. If they do switch to this style of play, they'll also need him to become a better and more willing passer as he's bound to see more double-teams.
This past season, he had the lowest assist percentage of his career at 6.2. Indiana isn't exactly stacked with shooters, but the offense will greatly benefit from Hibbert becoming a better distributor.
The 27-year-old is in line to have the most responsibility he's ever had. While it definitely starts with his offense, it will almost always end with what he does best.
Elite Defense
Defense is Hibbert's calling card, and now that he'll have to focus on other facets of the game this upcoming season, he can't allow his defensive efforts to falter.
The Pacers will have to lean heavily on their defense to keep them in games—more so than usual this time around. Indiana had the league's second-best defense (in terms of points allowed) last season, and Hibbert played a major role in it.
The former Georgetown star was the league's top rim protector among starting centers last season, holding opponents to a 41.1 field-goal percentage on shots near the hoop, per NBA.com. He was also fourth in total blocks with 182.
Indy's perimeter defense has also taken a hit due to its offseason losses, so a strong interior presence will be essential as it looks to maintain its spot among the top five defenses. West and Hibbert posted defensive ratings under 100 last season, so it's not exactly the worst anchor to a defense.
On the surface, it looks like a lot is being asked of Hibbert, but it's not out of this realm to think he can accomplish all of the above.
After all, Hibbert complained about not getting enough touches this past season, calling his teammates selfish, per NBA.com's David Aldridge. It's somewhat justified, too, although publicly stating it might not be the best idea.
Hibbert's usage rate was the lowest among the starters last season, and it was the first time during his career it ever dipped under 20 percent. While this may not be the exact situation he imagined, the circumstances are such, and he'll have a chance to prove he can be a featured player.
Indiana might not make the playoffs this season, which is a giant leap back after appearing in consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. But Hibbert could be a big reason why their regression isn't as drastic.
During the 2013 postseason, Hibbert had the best per-game averages of his career, posting 17 points and 10 rebounds. That's pretty much what the Pacers need Hibbert to do so the upcoming season isn't a complete waste.
Indiana's season looks bleak, but a couple of steps forward in Hibbert's development could provide a very bright spot as the Pacers look forward to George's return for 2015-16.
Note: Stats gathered from Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise stated.
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