Retired NBA star Roy Hibbert supports his old team the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics to reach the Eastern Conference Finals Boston Celtics according to an interview with Adam Taylor from The Celtics Chronicle The Pacers were an obvious choice for Hibbert due to his memorable block on former New York Knicks player Carmelo Anthony in the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
This block propelled the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals, making them a standout for Hibbert New York Knicks acknowledged him as a legend in Indiana because of this moment
However, Hibbert also praised Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau for leading a shorthanded Knicks team deep into the playoffs He did raise concerns about their limited manpower, believing it could lead to their eventual downfall Hibbert expressed his concerns to Taylor, stating, "I'm worried about the longevity of the Knicks with only playing seven players with [Tom Thibodeau], but he has those guys locked in,"
Following the Knicks' thrilling 121-117 victory in Game 1, they faced a setback as center Mitchell Robinson sustained a season-ending stress injury to his left ankle
This injury joined the sidelined ranks of three-time All-Star forward Julius Randle, who underwent shoulder surgery, and Bojan Bogdanovic, a crucial bench player who had foot surgery, leaving the Knicks with a slim margin for error Robinson is set to be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks.
This further reduced the Knicks' room for error as they faced increasing challenges due to the absence of key players announced Hibbert shared his perspective, suggesting that the Celtics might prefer to compete against the Pacers rather than the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals due to their playing style that prioritizes offense over defense
Mitchell Robinson promises retaliation after his season-ending injury Robinson aggravated his previously operated-on left ankle during the Knicks' first-round victory over the Philadelphia 76ers He missed 50 games in the regular season due to this injury and his performance was never the same after a dangerous flagrant foul on him in Game 3
Upon receiving the upsetting news, Robinson expressed his dismay through a series of emotional posts on social media, while also hinting at seeking revenge for the setback
Robinson expressed his frustration, stating, "This is so (expletive) up dawg. Like I don’t even know what to say right now!"
He then cryptically hinted at seeking retaliation, possibly in response to the foul by Embiid or as a way to bounce back from the setback Robinson made it clear that he is determined to seek revenge for his injury on his private Twitter account, stating, "This is not over over! I WILL SEEK REVENGE.".
It is now Precious Achiuwa’s opportunity to shine Joel EmbiidIn the absence of Robinson, Thibodeau is likely to rely on Precious Achiuwa, who has been overlooked until now, to serve as Isaiah Hartenstein’s backup moving forward
Achiuwa only played for four minutes in Game 1, scoring a free throw and grabbing a single rebound, and had minimal involvement in their first-round victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in just two games
Achiuwa performed well in the regular season, particularly during Robinson’s extended absence while recovering from his ankle surgery The 6-foot-8 Achiuwa had an average of 8.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 26.1 minutes in 40 games without Robinson, since joining the Knicks as part of the OG Anunoby tradeRoy Hibbert, who has been an NBA All-Star twice, shares his predictions for the Eastern Conference Finals and gives his opinions on Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau.
Then he followed it up with a cryptic post about seeking revenge, which could either be pertaining to Embiid’s dangerous foul or bouncing back from this setback.
“This is not over over!” he tweeted on his private Twitter account. “I WILL SEEK REVENGE.”
Precious Achiuwa’s Time to Shine
Without Robinson, Thibodeau will likely lean on forgotten man Precious Achiuwa to fill in as Isaiah Hartenstein’s backup moving forward.
Achiuwa only saw action for four minutes in Game 1, scoring a free throw and pulling down one rebound. He also barely saw playing time in their first-round win against the Philadelphia 76ers, appearing in only two games.
But Achiuwa played solid in the regular season especially during Robinson’s lengthy absence while recovering from his ankle surgery. The 6-foot-8 Achiuwa averaged 8.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 26.1 minutes across 40 games without Robinson since the Knicks acquired him as part of the OG Anunoby trade.
