Indiana Pacers: Is Roy Hibbert Suddenly The Best Center In The League?

Roy Hibbert really stepped up his game in the playoffs. (NBA.com photo)

It’s been a rough couple of days for Roy Hibbert. Not only did his Indiana Pacers fall to the Miami Heat in a Game 7 blowout, but he was also fined $75,000 by the NBA for using a homophobic slur and other inappropriate language in his post-game press conference after Game 6.

But for all Hibbert’s problems, he has a lot to smile about, too. After an uneven regular season where he played strong defense, but struggled mightily on the offensive end, he seriously picked his game up in the playoffs, becoming one of the most valuable players of the postseason. His offensive game completely turned around, and he became an absolute monster in the post. After a .448 field goal percentage in the regular season, he shot .511 from the floor in the playoffs, and there were times when it felt like he was scoring at will. This sudden uptick in Hibbert’s performance begs the question: has he abruptly become the best center in the game?

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/4/2013.

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/4/2013.

Its not as surprising a question as you might think. The best center crown has been up for grabs all year long, ever since Dwight Howard‘s ongoing problems led to an underwhelming season in which he had to settle for third-team All-NBA. There are plenty of candidates in the best center race, but no definite front-runner. Tim Duncan grabbed the center spot on first team All-NBA, but he spent most of his career as a power forward and it’s hard to think of him as a true center. Marc Gasol would be in the running, as he won Defensive Player Of The Year and is capable on both sides of the ball. Still, he not a particularly strong rebounder and he’s never quite been a superstar.

There are other centers who are very good players, but it would be hard to view any of them as definitively the best center in the game. Joakim Noah had the best season of his career, but he could still use more range on the offensive end. On the other end of the spectrum, Brook Lopez is probably the best offensive center in the game, but rebounding is an issue for him and while his defense was better this year, he still can’t hang with the likes of Gasol, Noah, and Tyson Chandler in that regard. Finally, there’s Andrew Bynum, who could have been the best center in the game, but sadly, he was born with knees made of Styrofoam.

What all this means is that Roy Hibbert actually could be the best center in the game. I’m not willing to make that leap of faith just yet, however I need to see him play this way for a whole season first. Remember, he was an All-Star in 2011-12, and most people considered him a top-five center at that point. But after his weak offensive performance this past season, people cooled off on him considerably. It’s quite possible that he could regress once again when the 2013-14 season begins, and cease to be the dominant post player we’ve gotten to know for the past five weeks.

Roy Hibbert’s talent cannot be denied. He’s a monster on the defensive end, hes a surprisingly strong free throw shooter given his size, and if his performance in these playoffs is any indication, he can impose his will in the post. If he can put all of his talents together, he really could become the best center in the league. For now, I’ll put him in the top 10–maybe eve the top five–and if he can play the way he did in the playoffs for a full season, I’ll consider putting him in the top spot.