IF the Indiana Pacers are to be in contention for this season’s NBA crown, the heavy lifting will have to be done by their All Star frontcourt of center Roy Hibbert and power forward David West.
The duo showed glimpses of dominance in the postseason last year where they pushed eventual champions Miami Heat to the deciding Game 7.
Hibbert exploited Miami’s undersized frontline and averaged 17 points and 9.9 rebounds. West on the other hand, normed 16 points and 7.6 boards in the Playoffs.
Both recognize the roles they must play and what they must do this year to mold the Pacers as legitimate title contenders.
“It’s a long process. We got a long road ahead of us. We got to do a lot of things in the interim to prepare us for what we hope to be a very successful basketball season,” West said.
Hibbert, who will be matching up with indisputably, the league’s best slotman, Dwight Howard, today, said that he is looking forward to stepping up to the plate. “He’s a real good center. He’s the best in the game right now so I have to step up to the challenge tomorrow (today).”
Still, West believes that in order for them to be truly formidable, they need every member of this Pacers team to deliver including the returning All Star Danny Granger and the newly-acquired Luis Scola.
“He’s (Granger) going to help us. He’s a pro. He’s a very very good basketball player. He’s still got to get his timing back and everything but he’s going to help us. Scola’s a pro, battle-tested. He’s going to add to this group and strengthen us for what we hope to be a very productive season. It’s a very long season,” added West.
When it comes to playing the Heat though, West said they don’t need much motivation to beat LeBron James and company.
“We’re motivated. They’re the defending champs. They’re obviously a very good basketball team. They have the best player on their side. We can’t look too far ahead. We got to handle our business in the interim and make sure that we’re healthy, remain vigilant, remain humble.” /Correspondent Jonas Panerio