Los Angeles Lakers Need Roy Hibbert’s Offense
A lot of people didn’t think much of it when the Los Angeles Lakers executed a trade to get Roy Hibbert from the Indiana Pacers this summer. So far this season, he hasn’t done much to prove that indifference wrong.
Hibbert started the season strong with two double-digit scoring performances, including a double-double (12 points and 10 rebounds) in the season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves and a five-block outing against the Sacramento Kings.
Following that start, Hibbert was virtually non-existent, scoring a mere 14 points through four games and averaging a miniscule 3.5 points per game, save for a lone 18 point, 10 rebound performance in Madison Square Garden.
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Despite his defense continuing to be stellar (2.4), his lack of contribution on the offensive end in both the scoring and rebound columns (4.8) was disappointing even by his lowered offensive standards.
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This lack of offensive production is even more glaring when looking at how little production the Lakers are getting in the paint this season. Since starting off hot, rookie Julius Randle has significantly cooled off, averaging 7.8 points per game through the last five.
Aside from the recent emergence of Larry Nance Jr., the Lakers are getting very little in the way of production from their bench bigs. This combined with Hibbert’s inactivity offensively have led to the Lakers getting a league-worst 34.6 percent of their points in the paint.
Thankfully, Hibbert seems to have found his stride as of late, scoring in double digits in three of the last four games and shooting better than 50 percent from the field in all three of those performances.
This includes back-to-back games with 12 and 14 points respectively and seven rebounds in each contest against teams with stellar centers in the Detroit Pistons and the Phoenix Suns.
Hibbert’s averages of 12.3 PPG and 7.3 RPG during this stretch hint at a more offensively aggressive Hibbert and are indicative of the player who was considered one of the best centers in the league during his heyday with the Pacers.
Despite his initial pledge to devote himself to being the team’s defensive anchor, he is now in a position where he has to contribute on the offensive end as well. Randle has been solid through the first few games of his rookie season and is arguably the team’s most talented offensive post player, but has not shown the consistency to be relied upon as the team’s primary post scoring threat.
Larry Nance is still developing into the dynamic player he has the potential to become and should help to bear the load in the paint eventually but outside of him, the team has no significant offensive production from the big men on their bench.
Right now, Hibbert is the team’s most reliable, most experienced post player.
Hibbert not only has to contribute offensively; he’s got to play with the same confidence he played with before his slump in Indiana. The Lakers are now depending on him to not only thrive in his role as the defensive anchor — which he has — but also to thrive as their anchor offensively in the paint.
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Hopefully, Hibbert will continue to embrace the challenge.