2014 NBA Playoffs: Roy Hibbert emerges when Pacers need him most

Pacers 86, Wizards 82 (Series tied 1-1)
Roy Hibbert: 28 points (10-13 FG,) 9 rebounds, 2 blocks
Marcin Gortat: 21 points (10-15 FG,) 11 rebounds

Roy Hibbert's 2014 NBA Playoff experience has simply been a disastrous whirlwind, as he's registered a number of lowly performances for a player that was named an NBA all-star. His statistical shortcomings have been well documented, and subject to mocking from former NBA stars Tracy McGrady and Gilbert Arenas, in addition to the faithful patrons on forums and other forms of social media.

The Pacers dreaded the thought of being down 2-0 in the eastern conference semifinals, and having to march into Washington D.C. to play a third and fourth game in front of what is sure to be psychotic Wizards crowd.

Roy Hibbert's 28 point, 9 rebound and 2 block performance ensured Indiana a tie in the series at 1-1, and an improved sense of confidence as the series changes scenery to the nation's capital.

In his previous four games, Hibbert's output was downright embarrassing and laughable, as he totaled 13 points, 6 made field goals and 9 rebounds in a total of 73 minutes. In three of those four games, Hibbert remained scoreless, parked on the bench, head hung low and his confidence in shambles.

His body language reeked of doubt and worry, as he became the subject of much scrunity and criticism. Many of those in the realm of social media called for the benching of Roy, and other analysts and media outlets beckoned for the Pacers to play what has seemingly become the norm in the association in "small ball."

The Pacers however, vowed never to abandon their all-star, even as he became the first player since the 1960's to be named an all-star in the regular season and not score in back to back postseason contests.

After the Pacers were trumped 102-96 in game one of the semis, Paul George exclaimed "we really need Roy Hibbert, and we need him now."

Tonight, Hibbert answered George's call, but one has to wonder if Roy will turn into a reliable interior figure for the remainder of the postseason? Roy produced an all-star performance tonight, but the superstars in this league make these type of marquee performances a consistent thing throughout the regular season and playoffs.

The former Georgetown Hoya acknowledged his ongoing battle with consistency, as he stated post game "I just want to string a few games together. Consistency hasn't been my biggest friend this year." For Hibbert and especially the Pacers, improving their rocky relationship with the concept of consistency isn't such a bad idea, even if it's coming at such a late juncture in the season.

From Washington's standpoint, they will live with Hibbert's breakout performance, as they surly do not fear a Roy Hibbert eccentric offense as much as they fear a Paul George and or Lance Stephenson eccentric offense that is sure to present big plays and some perimeter magic. 

George and Stephenson both struggled tonight, going 5-13 and 3-12 respectively, but they both hit key buckets when their ballclub needed them most.

Most importantly, they provided Hibbert with a flicker of hope and a temporary sense of confidence. They actively looked for Hibbert, who maintained aggressiveness all night long. He punished the Wizard's defense with quick striking, powerful moves. 
He was as impressive as he's been all postseason and possibly since the all-star break, as Indiana looks to break out of the lengthy lull they've been in, and hit a stride that will allow fans to recognize them as the true title contender many thought them to be at the beginning of the 2013-14 regular season.

For too long, the Pacers have flirted with an unexpected early playoff flameout. They have come frighteningly close with the prospect of waltzing off into a summer of frustration and an intense irateness. 

With every fantastic Hibbert performance, the Pacers will continue to distance themselves from this horrific notion. Tonight at Banker's Life Fieldhouse the crowd and world got their first glimpse of this fact. Hibbert's energy was at it's zenith, and his dominance was in full force. 

Roy may not ever possess the offensive wit that makes Tim Duncan one of the greatest players of all time. He may never leave imprints on a game physically or athletically like Dwight Howard is able to on a nightly basis. Hibbert may never hone his skills, and add a sleek and impressive polish to his game such as Blake Griffin has been able to.

What Hibbert can do is continue to work hard and  be thankful for the opportunity afforded to him. Under any other circumstance, a coach would've yanked Hibbert from the starting unit, and sat him on the bench as the playoff wars waged on.

Frank Vogel, under an intense amount of pressure from the media and even those in Indiana's front office, stood by his convictions and it finally proved to pay off. Roy Hibbert blocked out all the uncertainty tonight and showcased a great deal of promise for this Pacers squad.

He exerted maximum energy on the defensive end, and his eagerness to succeed along with his assertive nature resulted in a buzz worthy performance.

Will Hibbert continue to produce like this going forward? Truth be told, seeing this type of production out of Roy on a nightly basis would be a pleasant and welcomed surprised for Indy. But, if Roy can mimic this performance in the slightest bit, the glimmer of hope for Indiana's championship run just got much bigger and brighter. 

Roy Hibbert vowed to be more aggressive in game two. He answered the call, and exceeded all expectations. Even though it's just one game and one night, this is a huge stepping stone for Roy and this Pacers team. Has the giant finally awoken from his extended slumber? Where Indiana end's up finishing this season may be the perfect indicator for this. But for now, Hibbert must continue to take it one game at a time. 

Is this the beginning of a string of dominant performances for Hibbert, or simply just a fluke? Share thoughts and opinions with me on Twitter (@wcboyer24) and continue to support The Basketball Society. 

2014 NBA Playoffs: ATL, The Underdogs or Favorites?

What if I told you that a team would barely get into the postseason as an eighth seed and then outplay a number one seed to the point where they look like the favorites to win?  Would you believe me?  Well, that's just what the Atlanta Hawks have been doing.  This Hawks team is the only team in the postseason with a losing record and they just barely got in over the Knicks.  Injuries have plagued the Hawks all year long and this has caused them to draw the eighth seed.  So, going into the series with the reeling Pacers, the Hawks looked like they may have drawn the better matchup.  However, the Pacers may have been on a skid heading into the postseason, but they were still the number one seed for a reason.  They tout one of the best defenses in the league and they still have a rising star in Paul George who has been talked about as one of the best all-around players in the game.  Meanwhile, one of Atlanta's best players in Al Horford was lost for the season back on just the twenty-ninth game of the season.  They also lost Lou Williams for 22 games, Millsap and Korver for a few games, and they lost bench players Ayon and Jenkins for the year as well.  So, I bet the question now is, how are the Hawks playing in a game seven against the Pacers?

Well, let's start with Jeff Teague, the leader of this Atlanta squad.  During the regular season Teague averaged a 16.5 points per game, 6.7 assists per game, and 2.6 rebounds per game all while shooting 43.8% from the floor and and 84.6% from the free throw line.  Now, against one of the top rated defenses Teague is averaging 19.8, 5.3, and 3.8 while shooting 40.6% and 90.1%.  Although his field goal percentage has taken a small hit, he has been taking 3 more shots per game and scoring 3 more points per game too.  Teague has been taking over for the Hawks and leading them to big wins over Indiana.  His two best scoring games in game 1 and game 6 resulted in a 1-1 record, but his best overall game came in game 3 when Atlanta beat the Pacers by a big 13 points.  Now, compare Teague to his counterpart George Hill.  Hill has been averaging 12.7, 4.0, and 3.3 and he also has just a mere 12.6 player efficiency rating.  Teague boasts a 19.3 PER, and he is obviously out performing George Hill in almost every facet of the game.  To go along with the guard play, the Hawks' guards have been raining threes.  The Pacers have been more efficient from three point than the Hawks, but the Hawks have still made 17 more threes than Indiana.  Throughout the series it has seemed like Hawks can catch fire at any moment.

So, how about the big men battling in the paint?  Everyone has heard about the demise of Roy Hibbert this year, thanks to social media, but in comparison to the Hawks is it that much of an impact?  Hibbert has been averaging 4.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg, while shooting 30% from the floor and carrying an abysmal 0.6 PER.  This was the man who has been their starting center and was an all-star too.  David West, meanwhile, has been pulling the weight he's been expected to carry.  He's carrying averages of 15.0, 5.0, and 5.8 while shooting 51%.  Their big men on the bench have been ok, but they're not anything write home about.  Mahinmi hasn't been a force on offense at all, but he has played a part in shutting down the paint against Atlanta.  Now, let's see how that stacks up against the Hawks' big men.  Paul Millsap is playing exceptionally well this series, he has averages of 20.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, and 2.7 apg while shooting 42.7% from the floor.  Millsap has really been a force for Atlanta in this series.  He's been playing great defense, and he's also been making the Indiana big men look bad.  Millsap has been setting the tone for this team when the guards can't.  If a shot isn't falling they pass the ball down low to Millsap and let him go to work.  Once they see Millsap make some shots, the whole team starts to get confidence in their own shot and they start rolling.  Pero Antic and Mike Scott have been able to give Atlanta some big plays as well.  Antic has been a wall on defense and even more so on the boards.  Mike Scott has been able to deliver big plays that get the crowd going in Atlanta.  Scott has been almost like a diamond in the rough for the Hawks and a lot more people are finding out who he is.  The Hawks get the nod as far as the big men go, due to the tremendous play of Millsap and the disappearing act of Roy Hibbert.

It's time for you to decide now, who do you think is the actual favorite in this series?  Let me know on twitter what you think @Sixers_RunWitUs.

- Alex Fischbein

#9 - Indiana Pacers

For the Indiana Pacers, it's about time and experience. Their valiant stint against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals led to a dismal Game 7 of 21 turnovers, losing the rebound battle, and a flustered, fouled out Paul George with a grand total of 7 points. They were expectedly outmatched, but it still adds to their experience. The story most associated with Indiana now is the return of Danny Granger, who is now doubtful for the Pacers' season opener next week. Granger's knee injury kept him out of 75 games and the playoffs last season and reportedly suffered a minor calf injury during the preseason. The Pacers need time for Danny Granger.

Still this list is only about the added pieces, and I wrote that Indiana won in July when they traded for Phoenix Suns forward Luis Scola. The Pacers now have more experience on their bench and even more ruggedness to accompany David West and Roy Hibbert. Scola will bring the same tenacity as a Tyler Hanbrough, who signed with Toronto as an unrestricted free agent, but with much more skill and savvy. You still have Lance Stephenson as a spark plug; you replace D.J. Augustin with a seasoned back-up point guard in C.J. Watson, and add an extra spark plug in former Knick Chris Copeland, and Tom Ziller from SB Nation thinks you might be looking at the best team in the East. With some time and a little more experience, not to mention Paul George's vital emergence as a star and a smooth return for Granger, they're more equipped to make the argument.

- Martin S. @marley_mcfly

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