Hibbert strikes me as a player who thrives off of playing with Paul George, and that's perfectly understandable. However, there was a time when he played really well before PG truly blossomed, and, as far as I can tell, he's seemingly taken a step back, so he doesn't look like a cornerstone type of a player. I mean, he rebounds like James Edwards, lol.
Still, the reality is that, had Bird not traded Granger, that Pacers team could very well have beaten Miami, and their club would have likely remained the same (keeping Lance, etc.) going into this past season. It's got to be frustrating for Larry. He's done everything he can for his guys, from getting Hibbert to work with Bill Walton one summer to keeping Lance under control, and yet the Pacers still have yet to win it all. I wonder what he thinks of Hassan Whiteside, and if he'd take him over Hibbert. I think he would, but that's just my opinion. What he needs to do is to vastly upgrade the point guard position, let Scola and Copeland walk, as both are huge defensive liabilities, keep Lavoy Allen, possibly to probably re-sign CJ Watson and Stuckey, and draft really well this year, as he'll be in the lottery. I'd also bring Granger back, if for no other reason than his leadership in the locker room, and our very own Brandon Bass could be a great fit for them, as well. Indiana is still a contender, but they do need more. The problem is that Bird's owner is cheap. Ugh. Man, talk about adding insult to injury. First the team's in a small market, and then the owner is a penny pincher. Deng.
Btw, I can't believe that Hibbert is going to be 30 by the end of 2016.