Clay Maxfield’s Indiana Pacers All-Decade Team
Roy Hibbert
When reflecting on the Pacers postseason battles between the Miami Heat, few fans forget the inside presence that was Roy Hibbert.
Even some fail to remember the game-defining Hibbert block on Carmelo Anthony in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks.
In 2013, the block heard around the Midwest would help spur a Pacers team to a 9-0 run after being down two points with just five minutes remaining and would later go on to help the Pacers advance to an Eastern Conference Finals showdown against the Heat.
Hibbert would average 17 points and 9.9 rebounds during the 2013 playoff run while he, Paul George and the Pacers would go on to face the Big Three of Miami for three postseasons in a row with the 2013 postseason being decided in seven games.
Indiana’s big man averaged double figures in scoring during seven seasons with the Pacers with an average of 11.1 PPG and 6.8 RPG while putting together a few double-double seasons from 2011 to 2013.
Hibbert also nabbed all-star bids during the 2012 and 2014 seasons.
In the 2014 season, Hibbert was named onto the NBA’s Second All-Defense Team, a strong reflection of his overall time throughout Indiana’s playoff runs as a rim protector.
His 990 blocks put him only behind Jermaine O’ Neal, Rik Smits, and Herb Williams for the franchise’s leader in blocks while putting him in tenth place for defensive win shares at 23.
Roy Hibbert’s durability made him a reliant defensive anchor to lean on as he remained healthy and active for 92% of his tenure in Indiana.
His size made him an imposing body on the boards, placing himself amongst the Pacer greats with 1,254 offensive rebounds during his Indiana tenure, a rightful spot in the top offensive rebounders on the all-time leader board.
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The Indiana Pacers have had great talent as an organization both on and off the floor. The past ten years have placed the organization in a position to succeed. Even with looking back throughout the years, there is a lot to look forward to for Pacers’ fans in the next ten.