NBA PM: Can Hibbert Rebound in L.A.?

How Will Hibbert Fare in Los Angeles?

The Indiana Pacers couldn’t wait to get rid of Roy Hibbert, which is why they surrendered a 7’2 rim protector for only a second-round pick on Thursday, even though Hibbert had only one year left on his deal with the Pacers.

His souring relationship with the Pacers is well-documented, but nobody has any idea how he’ll play with the Los Angeles Lakers next season.

Obviously, the Lakers are hoping he returns to All-Star form because this trade was one of the only ways that they have been able to salvage anything approaching respectable out of this summer, but based on Hibbert’s past behavior and output it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll thrive in L.A. any more than he did Indianapolis.

The biggest issue with Hibbert is that, on a personal level, he’s a smart guy who follows up with what the press and the fans are saying about him and it really affects his demeanor in the locker room. When Hibbert is playing well he’s an extremely personable, outgoing guy that gives great interviews and jostles around the locker room like the lead jock in a teenage sports movie.

When he’s down, though, his slumps do affect his mood. He loses some of his charm, at least in the presence of media, and of course that lack of confidence creeps into his game and affects the product on the court.

Knowing how poorly he’s responded to criticism and high expectations in Indiana, it’s hard to believe he’ll respond much better where the media is infinitely more crushing and the fans infinitely more ruthless. Lakers fans are a voracious bunch, and L.A. is one of the biggest media markets in the world. If Hibbert is up, he’ll be very, very up, but there’s also the potential for a major let-down.

Fans can see this, too. In the midst of the 2013 postseason, when Hibbert was playing arguably the best basketball of his career, he was talking to the media like he was Charles Barkley, throwing out vulgarities and saying whatever the hell was on his mind. It was the most enjoyable version of Hibbert that Indiana had ever experienced, both on and off the court, and it had everything to do with how good he was feeling about himself.

By the same token, back in 2011, when he first signed his new max contract with the Pacers and expectations shot skyward, he really struggled to live up to the title of franchise player. This was before Paul George had broken loose and Hibbert looked like the guy most likely to anchor that franchise moving forward. He started that season playing like a dud, however, and it was incredible to see the transformation. He’s a sensitive guy. He takes things hard.

Hibbert will likely love Hollywood. He’s very proud of his guest spots on “Parks and Recreation” and is a funny enough dead-pan kind of comedic actor that he could almost certainly find himself some fun opportunities in the city where entertainment is the most prized export. And if those things go well and positively affect his confidence, it’s very likely his career as a Laker will start with a bang.

It also could turn on a dime, though, and Lakers fans need to be prepared for that.

It’s not that Hibbert doesn’t work hard, because he does. Last offseason he spent significant time training with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to better his game, and he always puts in a lot of work over the summer. He’s put on good muscle over the years. He knocks down his free-throws. He cares about basketball and genuinely wants to be really, really good at it.

The problem is that he seems so affected by negative criticism and high expectations that it has completely stalled his career over the course of the last 18 months.

Hopefully L.A. is the fresh start he needs to find himself, because he’s a great guy who worked himself into a bad spot with the Pacers. The move might not work out for the Lakers, but it’s going to work a lot better for Hibbert to be there rather than Indiana.

Other Free Agency Tidbits

• After getting the DeAndre Jordan thing done at the 11th hour, the L.A. Clippers have been busy wrapping up the rest of the roster. Neither Cole Aldrich nor Austin Rivers have officially been offered contracts, but there are rumors that both guys are close to agreements that would place them in Los Angeles next season. Rivers reportedly got some interest from other teams, but he always was expected to return to his father’s team. Aldrich, meanwhile, was a cog in the New York frontcourt a year ago and will help bolster the Clippers’ bench, filling the Spencer Hawes-sized hole in their lineup.
• According to Marc Stein, The Clippers also are still very much interested in Josh Smith. They won’t have much to offer him, and Smith is undeniably worth more than the veteran’s minimum, but mutual interest does exist between these two parties. Sacramento is still after him, as well, though that won’t offer him quite the same opportunity to compete for a championship. Long story short, Smith has some reasonable options, and it looks like he’ll have to choose between money or wins.

Hearing that the Clippers remain in pursuit of Josh Smith as well on top of their planned signings today of Cole Aldrich and Austin Rivers

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 10, 2015

• Also, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to sign Alonzo Gee to a two-year, $2.75 million deal.

Free agent Alonzo Gee's two-year deal with New Orleans will be worth $2.75M, league source tells Yahoo Sports.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 10, 2015