Column: The fall of Roy

This season has been incredible for Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert, and not in a good way.

Many expected him to start the year right where he left off, riding on the success of his breakout playoff performance and a gut-wrenching instant classic against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.

During those playoffs, he shut down Carmelo Anthony with a block so hard it violated most FCC regulations, and he single-handedly rag-dolled Heat center and perennial All-Star Chris Bosh. He averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds through the postseason, and there was no reason to believe he couldn’t translate that to a successful outing for the 2013-14 season.

He did live up to the hype during the first half of the year, earning his second trip to the All-Star Game and showing exactly what Pacers fans had longed for in a center since Jermaine O’Neal last dominated in 2004 — a two-way threat who can make an impact in the post and create space for his guards by commanding a double team.

He went on a streak of seven double-digit scoring outings in November and December, had multiple games in which he had five or more blocks and eight or more rebounds and solidified his position as the defensive cornerstone on one of the stingiest defenses in the history of the NBA, at least up to that point. The Pacers were finally something for Hoosiers to be proud of again.

Then March happened.

After the All-Star break, a funk came over the team, resulting in a meltdown that made the 2004 New York Yankees feel better about themselves.

The Pacers dropped nine of their last 15 games to bottom-feeding teams such as the Knicks, Cavaliers, Hawks and Bobcats. From March onward they were statistically the worst offensive team in the league, averaging 96.5 points per possession. Their assist ratio plummeted.

Story after story asked what was wrong with the Pacers. Were Lance Stephenson and Paul George too selfish? Why was George Hill playing so timidly on both sides of the ball? Had the Pacers’ chemistry simply evaporated into thin air with the loss of Danny Granger?

It’s hard to blame all of this on Hibbert, but it’s just as hard to let him off the hook given the not-so-subtle jabs through the media at the “selfish dudes” with whom he plays.

That would be excusable if he were consistently contributing on the defensive end and pulled down rebounds like he had been all year — after all, his offense has never been the most impactful part of his game. But he’s only had one double-digit rebounding game since the beginning of March, and his blocking numbers have been pretty dismal for a man who has a wingspan like Mr. Fantastic.

The playoffs haven’t been any better for Hibbert. In two games against the Hawks it’s been more of the same, missing layups, turning the ball over in the post and letting Hawks forward Kyle Korver succeed in the paint. If they’re struggling to consistently beat a No. 8 seed that finished the season six games under .500, I’m afraid of what might happen if they escape this round.

Unless Hibbert can regain his mojo and play like we all know he’s capable of, Indiana could be host to one of the biggest single-season collapses in sports history.

aknorth@indiana.edu