NBA: Top 10 defensive players in the game
By Will Osgood
7. C Roy Hibbert, Indiana Pacers
Roy Hibbert has seemingly been granted the presumptive label as best interior defender because of the success of the Indiana Pacers under Frank Vogel, especially on the defensive end.
Hibbert was criticized at times the past two postseasons for not showing up offensively, as some obnoxious national voices even called for him to be benched. It was assumed that if Hibbert wasn’t scoring, he wasn’t contributing.
It’s not all Hibbert’s fault that there is that stigma about him, as is so hard to qualify defensive impact — especially in real time. But if you break down the film on him, you’ll see that while Hibbert isn’t your typical defender he’s in on mostly every play and his impact is almost always felt.
On shots against from less than six feet, Hibbert gives up an incredible 47.4 percent. This season he ranks third in the league in defense against shots at the rim, yielding just 42.6 percent of all efforts.
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