Roy Hibbert

Roy Hibbert: 7’2, 280, C, Sr., Georgetown

Roy Hibbert Video

I believe that most NBA prospects should stay in school as long as possible. Roy Hibbert was the exception. He withdrew from the 2007 NBA draft to return to Georgetown for an additional season, but he failed to show any improvement and may have regressed. Hibbert would have been a lottery selection last year, but few are suggesting that he’ll go that high this year. It was expected that the massive center would dominate the younger and smaller competition, but he only looked passive and absurdly slow this year. At his best, Hibbert is a smart and fundamentally sound center that can impact a game without scoring much. He is a good shot-blocker and a solid defensive rebounder despite his lack of vertical leaping ability. On offense, he has a soft shooting touch near the basket, makes crisp passes out of the low post, and sets jarring screens in half-court sets. The problems with Hibbert exist mostly with his lack of athleticism. There aren’t many players like him in the NBA anymore. Teams value speed more than ever before and plodding centers are becoming rare. Nevertheless, there will always be a job available for a man of this size. Hibbert will be drafted in the first round, and depending on which team drafts him, he may even become a starter. It’s more likely, however, that he has already peaked out his potential and will spend his career as a reserve.