Roy Hibbert might be moving to the bench. (USATSI)
Roy Hibbert might be moving to the bench. (USATSI)

Roy Hibbert didn't earn rave reviews at the Indiana Pacers' end-of-season media availability session on Friday. Pacers president Larry Bird said he wants the team to speed things up and be more versatile, which doesn't bode well for the big man who has a $15.5 million player option for next year. From the Indianapolis Star's Candace Buckner:

"If (Hibbert) comes back we're probably going to play another style and I can't guarantee him anything," Bird said. "He's going to have to earn it."

When asked for his assessment of Hibbert's play, Bird said: "I didn't think he played that well, to be honest. I thought he always played hard. He's very durable but I don't think he had a great year."

…

"Whatever he does, he does," Bird said. "We'll assume he's going to come back."

Indiana head coach Frank Vogel wasn't much more complimentary. "Yeah, potentially," he said when asked if Hibbert could be moved to the bench, again via the Indianapolis Star. "We'll have to see how it all plays out and what the roster ultimately looks like, but there's a possibility that Roy's role will be diminished, if we're trying to play faster and trying to play smaller." 

Hibbert 10.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game this season, shooting 44.6 percent from the field. He was still a dominant defensive force in terms of protecting the rim, but he didn't take the offensive leap some predicted with Paul George injured and Lance Stephenson in Charlotte. He should get credit for the Pacers' defense remaining solid, but it's unsurprising that Bird and Vogel want to improve offensively.

Unless Hibbert simply wants a change of scene, picking up his option still seems like the right call. That way, he'd sign a new contract in the summer of 2016, when the salary cap spikes. The only complication: if he becomes a reserve next season, that obviously won't help his value.