Id still take Howard. Only things Hibbert has better is that he can hit the 15 footer, more of a fluent post game, and you can say free throws. Howard is a better 1 on 1 defender, better weak side Defense, better rebounder, better in PNR situations, better hands, and is tremendously athletic. Hibbert is still second best though....
I'd be happy with either one now, however, Hibbert is younger and trending upward while Howard seems to have peaked and is on a bit of a decline. I also think Hibbert is mentally tougher than Howard. Howard gives me the impression that he wants to be a nice guy and befriend everyone, sometimes even on the basketball court. Hibbert, along with the rest of the Pacer squad, seems to only care about winning. In short, we have two stars that are flawed. When push comes to shove, they don't seem to lay down. I miss the days of Mad Max, OT, and Super Mario.
Do you realize that Hibbert is only 1 year younger than Howard? Kinda hard to believe, but its true. So if Howard has peaked, then why can't you say the same about Hibbert? To answer the OP, Hibbert is a top 3-5 center in this league. He is a better shooter than Howard, and can hit the free throws, but in nearly every other category, Howard is better. He is only averaging I believe 12/8 (same stats as last year) which is pathetic for someone 7'2 (to only average 8 rebounds)
Hm....I had to google this up, and you are correct, Hibbert is only a year younger, but the fact that you also said it's kinda of hard to believe would indicate that public perception is also in agreement. Perhaps it isn't straight up age that we are talking about. Howard had entered the league directly out of high school, and has spent 4 more years in the league than Hibbert. In other words, he has more mileage under his belt and has sustained more wear and tear than Hibbert. Can you honestly say that Howard is playing better ball now than when he was with the Magic? Back in the days Howard would just overpower his oppoent, but now he seems to be laboring on the court. Howard is shorter than Hibbert so he's relying more on his atheleticism to get the job done, and atheleticism will deteoriate age. Remember how T-Mac called himself old in his last couple of years with the Rockets when he was maybe 29? Statistically Howard is better, but stats don't give in everything on a basketball court. The mental part of the game is just as important. Howard is too much of a nice guy that he sometimes lack that killer instinct to get it done on the court.
depending on who you ask, that can be a bad thing. Many players ruined their potential nba career by leaving to the nba too soon and not developing their game in college. And yes, Howard isn't the same player he was in Orlando, and he'll probably never reach that level again, and yet, he is still the best center in the league. He said in a recent interview that he STILL isn't 100% coming off of his back surgery.
Hibbert is the second best center in the NBA, but he isn't the best. Why would anybody vote for Hibbert?
I'm a huge D12 fan and that's what brought me here but if I am thinking about chasing a chip then I would go with Hibbert. Howard is arguably past his prime or coming towards the tail end of his career. Hibbert has a lot of years and growth left. He is arguably on par with Dwight right now and can improve much further.
Dwight and it's not even close. Hibbert is an excellent defender, but he doesn't grab as many rebounds as he should with his physical gifts IMO, and his offensive game is even more limited than Dwight's (aside from FT shooting). Also to the guy who said he'd take Hibbert because Roy will have a longer career left over... You do realize Hibbert is only one year younger than Dwight, right?
