The Los Angeles Lakers may have gotten a steal in the form of veteran center Roy Hibbert over the summer. The team acquired the two-time NBA All-Star in a deal with the Indiana Pacers for a second-round draft pick and now Los Angeles has a true center in the paint once again.
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Hibbert, along with Lou Williams and Brandon Bass, was introduced by the Lakers organization on Wednesday morning. The veteran center spoke about what he plans to bring to the team next season, via TWCSportsNet:
.@Hoya2aPacer on what he can do to help the #Lakers – “my main presence is going to be at the rim."
— TWC SportsNet (@TWCSportsNet) July 22, 2015
The 28-year-old seven-footer continued to emphasize his presence on the defensive end of the basketball floor during the introductory press conference, via Lakers Twitter account:
Hibbert: "Defense is something that you can control, and I try to pride myself in being one of the best rim protectors."
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) July 22, 2015
With Hibbert in the paint, the Lakers will finally have that rim protector they’ve been missing since Andrew Bynum was trade back in the summer of 2012. Hibbert is widely considered one of the best defensive centers in the league and should drastically improve the team on that end of the floor next season.
Although Hibbert was basically forced out of Indiana, the veteran big man was happy to land in Los Angeles with the storied franchise. Hibbert will be highly motivated to prove he’s still one of the best centers in the NBA during the 2015-16 NBA season with only one year left on his deal.
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