Roy Hibbert Discussion 2015-16: No Buyout

I wonder if the Lakers have a Sports Psychologist on the payroll. I hear a good hypnotherapy session does wonders for MMA fighters at the top levels

 

Just in a clean-up role he can have 8 points a game off of missed shots from Julius, Jordan, Sweet Lou, and especially Kobe. Just off of misses and offensive rebounds.

 

Completely agreed. He has a lot to prove mentally, but the difference is he gets down on himself when he fails. Jordan is just dumb.

 

Well, I'm sure management has Metta World Panda's psychiatrist on speed dial...

 

Metta was long gone by the time Hibbert got there.

 

Good for him. He's going to be a terror on the defensive end. I think his weight was probably around 300lbs. Yes, he's 7-2, but still... that's too much for a basketball player who specializes in defense. You have to be mobile... or you have to be an athletic freak like Shaq. And heavy players are susceptible to foot injuries. Hibbert is an iron man, he rarely misses games. So, being light and lean will help him in that respect.

 

He's got a weird lookin' elbow.

I trust our training staff. Hibbert looks incredibly lean, almost too lean for today's NBA but as long as he's got a strong core he'll be fine because he's just a large, large person.

 

There are almost no really big center bruisers in the NBA anymore, so a leaner Hibbert is fine to me. The emphasis now is on speed and quickness, this may even improve his defense, and help with us wanting to run more. I can't wait for training camp to start already, anxious to see him and all the others play.

 

I think his weight loss will certainly make him more mobile and overall it's better on his knees and ankles if he's carrying less weight. His height alone will help him deal with the bruisers like Marc and DeAndre, but he'll also get moved around a little easier by those guys than he was before. He'll have to adjust to that with a strong core and a wide base. I think he can do it.

If Cap is really a mentor type to him, then he can take a page out of Cap's book. Kareem was rail thin most of his career, but he was still strong enough to do what he needed to on the floor.

 

Hibbert's m.o. on defense is jumping vertically straight up just to impede the shooter or drivers line of sight to basket. This loss of weight will help his timing even further and as you said less strain physically. Hibbert will also be better on weak side help defense on rotations with faster tempo opponents.

I think he should be able to deal with bruisers anyway like a Gasol or a Bogut. Jordan is athletic with better mobility but Hibbert in his current state could at least stay with him. The former is dumb as a rock too.

Abdul-Jabbar was lean but intelligent in seeing angles plus he knew how to leverage himself on the low block on post defense and establishing rebounding position.

 

...and happy to be here. He won't be asked to do too much within the Laker heirarchy. Rebound and play defense which from his comments he's embraced already and ready to take it head-on.