Peachtree Hoops: Roy Hibbert's been watching you, Al Horford

[Hawksquawk]

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

Matchup.

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Dude, he's been watching you.

Roy Hibbert, last seen as a big, big man who struggled keeping up with the smaller centers in league last season as they ran down the court, apparently did something about it. 

Over the summer Larry Bird asked his friend Bill Walton to work with him, and Walton must've done something right (credit to Hibbert too for putting the work in).  He's slimmed down, reportedly losing 23 pounds in the offseason, which has given him more mobility and durability on the court.    

Hibbert begins his quest to see how his new look does against the All-Star big men in the league, with Chris Kaman and Dwight Howard set to tip-off against the former Georgetown big man this week.

But tonight, it starts with Al Horford.

"That was one of the guys during the summer I watched tape on every possession I had on him, offensively and defensively," Hibbert said. "I scouted him during the summer and I want to have a good game, period. I just want to be able to play defense really well, get rebounds, get stops and move the ball.     

That might be a good idea as Horford sort of/kind of did go off on the Pacers last season, scoring 22.3 per game and grabbing 15.7 rebounds versus the Indianapolis big men.

How that all translates to tonight is something that all the work that Hibbert did is all about---matching up against the sleeker, quicker Hawks big man, one who got easy baskets in the past by simply outrunning Hibbert down the court and making the Pacers take Roy out of the game, despite any early successes of his own on the offensive end.

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