Roy Hibbert’s NBA career is crashing fast. After his struggles 2 years ago in the NBA Playoffs, and the Indiana Pacers eventual elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat. Roy Hibbert has now been traded to Los Angeles. The Lakers have a new Center to hope for new beginnings with and the Pacers get to develop Myles Turner.
Hibbert in Los Angeles is going to be interesting. How will the crowd and pressure affect him? How will he work with Kobe, Byron Scott? Hibbert suggests him and Scott’s relationship will be important. According to a Q&A with David Aldridge:
I wanted to play for a coach who actually played in the league if I had my own choice. Not to say that Frank (Vogel) wasn’t great. I had some real good times with Frank and we played well. But I told my agent that I possibly wanted to play for a coach that played in the league.
Me: Why is that important to you?
RH: Just playing for BShaw (Brian Shaw, the Pacers’ former associate head coach under Vogel), he went through the things that a player has gone through. He had a lot of real good insight to help myself, my game, with other guys on the court. Because he went through those things. And when you had two sets of four games in five nights, he was real with us. He would say, if I’m tired, you’re tired. It’s not a huge thing, but I’m really lucky to be in this position.
So as it stands the starting lineup of the Lakers looks like Hibbert, Randle, Kobe, Clarkson and D’Angelo Russell, with Lou Williams either starting in place of D’Angelo or Clarkson, or coming off the bench. Despite popular belief, the Lakers are a much better team this year. No not Playoffs or even close to it, but they took a step in the right direction. They have two savy young point guards in Clarkson and Russell. An angry Sixth Man of the Year, and a hungry Center waiting for a revival. They also added Brandon Bass, which means Robert Sacre’s playing time will likely be smaller.
