Roy Hibbert and the Indiana Pacers may be done playing for the season, thanks to their second-round ouster at the hands of the Miami Heat, but the Blue and Gold big man probably has a busy summer ahead him, anyway. Hibbert has his sights set on playing for Team USA in the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the Jamaica Observer reported on May 29 reported that the dream is alive and well in the aftermath of the Pacers' post-season exit. Specifically, the Jamaica Basketball Association (JABA) says that Hibbert is all Team USA's if they want him, and all they have to do is ask. As cool as it would be to see one of the hometown guys suiting up in the Red, White and Blue, though, I'm really not all that enthused about Roy's proposed fantastic voyage at this juncture in Indiana Pacers history. It's probably not a popular opinion, but I just don't see how the franchise's best interests can be served by having Hibbert do anything but prepare for the fall.
The Pacers are, by most accounts, one of the up-and-coming teams in the Eastern Conference, and Hibbert has finally started to show that he might eventually become the type of marquee big man that can carry a team. In this era when the best teams all seem to be built around strong guard play and a committee of forwards, there is a paucity of true centers, and Hibbert's presence could help Indiana differentiate itself among the elite teams. First, though, he needs to become more physical and more consistent, and the Pacers have to prove that they actually deserve to be mentioned among the elite. They had Miami reeling after three games but then wilted when faced with the Heat of experience and monster talent.
The Pacers have surprised a lot of people over the last two years, first by clawing into the playoffs in 2011, then by fashioning a superb regular-season record in 2011-12 and then by putting the hurt on the Heat, at least early on. To make that next step, they must have a rested and healthy Hibbert with another summer of fundamentals under his belt, and it will be tough to achieve that objective if the big is prepping for the Olympics and drinking in all of the hoopla that surrounds the summer games. Particularly playing with Team USA, Hibbert is likely to play in a ton of games and scrimmages, and that time could be spent honing the on-court relationship with his Pacers teammates instead of giving his NBA rivals a few more shots at his body.
The Pacers still have a ton of work to do in order to reclaim the lofty spot that they held in the NBA and on the Indianapolis sports landscape through the mid-2000s, and they need all hands on deck to get there. I fear that, if Hibbert answers his London calling, this snappy new Pace(r) car may get stuck in third gear.
Adam Hughes was raised, and still lives, in rural Indiana. He has been a Pacers fan since the early 1980s and has witnessed the rise and fall of a great NBA franchise. He follows the current club closely and is happy to see the Pacers begin their next ascent.
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