When it comes to a discussion involving the Defensive Player of the Year award, no one gets more excited than Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert.
Many around the league believed that Hibbert was one of the best – if not the best – defensive centers in the league last season. His 2.6 blocks were good for fourth best in the league, but blocking shots was far from the only thing he did as the defensive anchor of the team. His ability to clog the lane, anticipate and alter shots without losing position against his own man made it a nightmare to go up against him on a nightly basis. He also mastered the art of going straight up to contest shots, frustrating players who expect to get calls to no avail.
So when the center somehow finished 10th in DPOY voting and was asked how he felt about the matter during the playoffs last season, he answered bluntly, but in a way that would cost him and rub people the wrong way. The way he expressed himself was likely due to the adrenalin he felt after coming off an impressive victory against the Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but there’s no doubt that he spoke the truth as far as how he felt about the media voting.
Looking to make a statement this season, Hibbert has come out swinging with nine rebounds and a whopping 5.2 blocks in his first five games. Opponents are shooting 34.1 percent when he is on the floor, and the Pacers lead the league in defensive efficiency rating. After an impressive 97-80 victory against the Bulls on Wednesday, he had the following to say:
DPoY. Goodnight!
— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) November 7, 2013
People act like I can’t have individual goals. I didn’t talk about it in the past. Well now I am. I WANT DPoY. That’s gonna help my team win
— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) November 7, 2013
The way he is playing right now, the goal is well within reach. Before signing off, he also made sure to give a strong, strong shout-out to his teammate Paul George, who has also been on a mighty tear to begin the season:
Best believe @Paul_George24 getting that #MVP trophy this year. No one playing like him.
— Roy Hibbert (@Hoya2aPacer) November 7, 2013
It may sound overzealous to many (that guy LeBron James is still playing), but George is currently averaging 25.8 points on 48.3 percent shooting, along with 8.2 rebounds, four assists and 1.8 steals. Just as importantly as the offensive numbers, he is a huge presence on the defensive end as well. George is certainly in the conversation for the MVP award up to this point, and if the Pacers, who are currently undefeated at 5-0, ends up with the best record in the league? The MVP award is often about the narrative of any given season, so it’s not out of the question that it could happen.
What do you think?
Tweet of the Day: Roy Hibbert sympathizes with Tyson Chandler
Tweet of the Night: Chris Webber rips Pau Gasol and says he is not an elite big man
James Park is the chief blogger of Sheridan Hoops. You can find him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
Why do people think the Bulls bench is good? Nazr Mohammed is a joke and has anyone ever watched Mike Dunleavy play and said wow, that guy’s zombie dimeanor and sieve defense would be perfect on a championship team? Bulls are overrated.