Pacers’ Hibbert Plans to Speak Up

[rondohondo]

All alone, (LeBron) James pushed past Paul George for the winning basket. All alone, James lay the ball off the backboard and into the net. Twice in the final 10.8 seconds of a 103-102 overtime loss, Vogel yanked center Roy Hibbert out of the game. Twice, James beat the Pacers on drives to the rim for layups. Twice, the NBA’s Most Valuable Player found no resistance awaiting him the rim.

“I’ve grown as a player, this is my fifth year and maybe I need to start talking up more,” Hibbert told Yahoo! Sports in the losing locker room. “They pay me [max-contract money] for a reason.

“I didn’t say anything, and I wish I did. From now on, I need to speak up.”

via Adrian Wojnarowski of YAHOO! Sports

Wish he spoke up after the first time they got burned ...

[pearljammer10]

First thing I said when I watched the highlights of the last ten seconds... "Where's the big man? Where's Hibbert?"

[Snakehead]

Having Hansburough and not Hibbert makes no sense.  LeBron goes to the rim so often at the end of games, to me it really isn't very excusable.

Not saying this exact same play or a similar one couldn't have happened, but you have to at least try to make them shoot a jump shot by having Hibbert in the paint.

[jjceltics99]

First thing I said when I watched the highlights of the last ten seconds... "Where's the big man? Where's Hibbert?"

I still can't believe Vogel didn't have his best 5 in the game in the last 2 seconds. That's the type of stuff that gets you fired.

[Clench123]

That was incredibly dumb.  They ****ing had that game.  Unbelievable.

[sed522002]

This was the Pacers game to win and the Heat stole it from them. We don't know if having Hibbert in would have changed anything, but you at least put your self in the best position to win and Vogel didn't do that.

Also, Paul George's defensive miscues gets blame on that last play as well. I was still thinking "how do you get burned TWICE in crunch time because you didn't have all your key players on the floor"

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

When I first the play, I didn't realize Hibbert was out. I simply thought, "Atrocious team defense from allegedly the best defensive team in the league," because Paul George overplayed LeBron, expecting him (I guess) to take a quick pull-up, and then no one—NO ONE—came over to help. Then I realized Hibbert wasn't in, and assumed that he had to have fouled out (why else would he not be in at such a crucial time?). But no, I checked the box score, saw that he hadn't fouled out, and was incredulous. Total bonehead move by Vogel.

Go ahead and speak up, Roy. You've earned it. Though I fear it's too late for your team at this point.

[Celtic]

Such a disappointing end to the game last night. I couldn't believe when Hibbert wasn't out there and that easy lay up was definitely the result of his absence. I hate when coaches outsmart themselves, when they outthink the situation and feel that they have to adjust to the other team's style. Play your game! Make them adjust, the Pacers can beat the Heat if they play up their major advantage, size.

Now the story is how good Lebron is instead of the Pacers stealing game one, completely because of a poor coaching decision. To give Lebron praise for his late game "heroics" is kind of silly, he didn't do anything wrong but giving him credit is akin to lauding the keen business sense of a man who picks up a 20 dollar bill.

[pearljammer10]

First thing I said when I watched the highlights of the last ten seconds... "Where's the big man? Where's Hibbert?"

I still can't believe Vogel didn't have his best 5 in the game in the last 2 seconds. That's the type of stuff that gets you fired.

Definitely. Blowing a chance to go up 1 - 0 over Miami on the road because of a no brainer like that. Reeks of thanks but see ya later

[celtic -_- pride]

Paul George played lebron wrong so he deserves blame and lebron deserves credit for realizing the situation but i mean he probably saw that hibbert wasn't out there and knew exactly what he was going to do before getting the pass. Vogel blew it though twice by not having "the best rim protector in the game". I love how he said that after the win in NY but takes him out twice ! Vogel talks to the talk but couldn't coach his team to victory.

[Vermont Green]

Paul George played lebron wrong so he deserves blame and lebron deserves credit for realizing the situation but i mean he probably saw that hibbert wasn't out there and knew exactly what he was going to do before getting the pass. Vogel blew it though twice by not having "the best rim protector in the game". I love how he said that after the win in NY but takes him out twice ! Vogel talks to the talk but couldn't coach his team to victory.

I agree this is more on Paul George.  He needs to make sure Lebron beats him from the outside.  The team defensive scheme was clearly to cover all of the shooters (Bosh included) not to force a penetrator to help.  Even if Hibbert was in the game, he would have been in the corner covering Bosh not under the basket waiting to help.

This whole thing is getting overblown.  (IMHO)

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Paul George played lebron wrong so he deserves blame and lebron deserves credit for realizing the situation but i mean he probably saw that hibbert wasn't out there and knew exactly what he was going to do before getting the pass. Vogel blew it though twice by not having "the best rim protector in the game". I love how he said that after the win in NY but takes him out twice ! Vogel talks to the talk but couldn't coach his team to victory.

I agree this is more on Paul George.  He needs to make sure Lebron beats him from the outside.  The team defensive scheme was clearly to cover all of the shooters (Bosh included) not to force a penetrator to help.  Even if Hibbert was in the game, he would have been in the corner covering Bosh not under the basket waiting to help.

This whole thing is getting overblown.  (IMHO)

You make a good point. I do think George overplayed the possibility of a jump shot from LeBron, but I think that once it was clear LeBron was headed for the rim, somebody should've come over to help, because there may not have been enough time for someone to take a pass from LeBron and get off a good shot, or even if they did have time for a good look, at least it would've been a lower-percentage shot than LeBron's layup.

[Fafnir]

Paul George played lebron wrong so he deserves blame and lebron deserves credit for realizing the situation but i mean he probably saw that hibbert wasn't out there and knew exactly what he was going to do before getting the pass. Vogel blew it though twice by not having "the best rim protector in the game". I love how he said that after the win in NY but takes him out twice ! Vogel talks to the talk but couldn't coach his team to victory.

I agree this is more on Paul George.  He needs to make sure Lebron beats him from the outside.  The team defensive scheme was clearly to cover all of the shooters (Bosh included) not to force a penetrator to help.  Even if Hibbert was in the game, he would have been in the corner covering Bosh not under the basket waiting to help.

This whole thing is getting overblown.  (IMHO)

Yup, no defense in the world short of an outright double stops a straight line drive off the inbounds pass to the rim with zero resistance from the man guarding the ball like that.

[Fafnir]

Paul George played lebron wrong so he deserves blame and lebron deserves credit for realizing the situation but i mean he probably saw that hibbert wasn't out there and knew exactly what he was going to do before getting the pass. Vogel blew it though twice by not having "the best rim protector in the game". I love how he said that after the win in NY but takes him out twice ! Vogel talks to the talk but couldn't coach his team to victory.

I agree this is more on Paul George.  He needs to make sure Lebron beats him from the outside.  The team defensive scheme was clearly to cover all of the shooters (Bosh included) not to force a penetrator to help.  Even if Hibbert was in the game, he would have been in the corner covering Bosh not under the basket waiting to help.

This whole thing is getting overblown.  (IMHO)

You make a good point. I do think George overplayed the possibility of a jump shot from LeBron, but I think that once it was clear LeBron was headed for the rim, somebody should've come over to help, because there may not have been enough time for someone to take a pass from LeBron and get off a good shot, or even if they did have time for a good look, at least it would've been a lower-percentage shot than LeBron's layup.

There was no time for help to come because it was right off the inbound pass and everyone else was with their own man who were all shooters.

Can't give up a straight line drive immediately off the pass, that bucket was entirely on George.

[StartOrien]

This is a great read on Vogel's decision to sit Hibbert, and it kinda shut me right up (thought Hibbert definitly should've been in the game)

  http://www.eightpointsnineseconds.com/2013/05/in-defense-of-frank-vogel/