Roy Hibbert: Back To All-Star Form?

The Indiana Pacers came away with a 103-91 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers last night, and it was largely due to the huge game that Roy Hibbert put up. He finished the season in disappointing fashion last year, which lowered his expectations in a big way heading into the season opener yesterday. That being said, he looked like he was back to his All-Star form and has the Pacers excited about his future this season.

He looked much more active on both the offensive and defensive sides of the court, and was an excellent vocal leader on the court as well. It was obvious that he had his passion for the game back, and it made a major difference in his game. Take a look at the numbers that he posted last night against Philadelphia:

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 10/30/2014.

Needless to say, those numbers are much bigger all the way around than many expected to see from him. He has that type of talent, and it appears that the Pacers’ offense will be running through Hibbert much more than they have in years past. They don’t have the type of dominant wing play that they have had over the past couple of years with Lance Stephenson and Paul George, which means that they’ll have to go to the post more often to score.

Hibbert worked hard throughout the offseason, in particular working alongside of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trying to improve his post game and his overall offense. That appeared to be the case last night, as he displayed the ability to finish inside, make quick and decisive moves with his back to the bucket, and also step out and nail the mid-range jumper.

“It’s the first game, I’m not going to get too excited about it. But it’s good.” – Roy Hibbert

If the Pacers are going to have any chance to make the playoffs, they are going to need Hibbert playing at that type of level. He doesn’t necessarily have to score 20 or more points per game, but he will need to be dominant defensively and be able to finish easy shots in the paint.

While his season opening performance was impressive and exciting, the Pacers have seen quick starts from Hibbert in the past. He started strong last year as well, but following the All-Star break he completely shut down and ended up being one of the most disappointing players of the entire season. Hibbert definitely looked more into the game than he has in quite some time, and being the focus of the offense will keep him much more content than he has been in the last couple of years.

Is Hibbert back to his All-Star self and can he continue playing at the high level that he showed last night?

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Quite simply, he has improved his game this past offseason and is going to have a bigger role than he ever has with the Pacers. One of his major complaints last year was not getting the number of shots he was looking for, but there will be no shortage of touches for him this year. That in and of itself is going to be a major factor in Hibbert’s improved season.

Indiana will be playing through the post even more when David West returns from his injury, and both West and Hibbert understand how to play off of each other. To answer the question, yes, Hibbert is back to being his All-Star self. It’s hard to predict whether or not he will keep playing at that level, but he has a much better chance to do that this year with the increased usage.

Expect to see Hibbert continue to play with the same type of passion and energy that he played with last night. He is obviously excited to be one of the core leaders this season, and he is ready to step up and take hold of that leadership role.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Regular Season Opener Edition