I've decided I will not discuss the Lakers game at length. Martin got his points, Artest almost punched Maurice Evans, Salmons and Garcia looked decent, we still didn't get any meaningful burn for the kids. Whatever. It's over. Kwame Brown's check is in the mail.
I am in full draft mode, though. Color me intrigued by this Bill Simmons passage:
Maybe Reggie Miller received the most attention on those contending Indiana teams in the mid-'90s, but Smits was their most valuable player -- he gave them a low-post offense and always commanded a double team, which opened the floor for Reggie. [...]
Hibbert won't be as good offensively unless he can develop Smits' deadly 17-footer, but he's a better shotblocker and rebounder, as well as someone who could take advantage down low against smaller players in the pros. He's also a legitimate 7-foot-2, which gives him something in common with only 5-6 players in the NBA right now. I like him. He's a top-eight pick in my mind. Unquestionably.
We've discussed the Reggie Miller-Kevin Martin comparisons. Smits and Hibbert is pretty legitimate, too - flat-footed, killer rebounders, post magicians. Intriguing, seeing that Indiana went to five conference finals and an NBA finals with the Miller/Smits star duo plus some quality role players.