Report: Bringing Andrew Bynum to the Pacers 'rankled' Roy Hibbert

If Roy Hibbert can drop one point and one rebound in Wednesday's Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards, it'll be an improvement on his Game 1 performance.

It's not entirely clear why Hibbert's form has declined so drastically since the All-Star Game, but with his tailspin coinciding with Andrew Bynum's arrival in Indiana in early February, many have speculated that the acquisition had a negative impact on Hibbert's game.

On Tuesday, NBA.com's Steve Aschburner gave more support to the theory, claiming that "bringing Bynum aboard rankled Hibbert," particularly when "Frank Vogel ran plays to get Bynum involved offensively that he rarely calls for Hibbert."

If this is the case, it will make the Pacers' disastrous signing of Bynum look even more disastrous.

Bynum, who appeared in only two games for the franchise during the regular season, was for ruled out for the remainder of the playoffs on Wednesday due to his continuous knee issues. The Pacers also decided against keeping him with the team, which probably speaks to the locker-room issues he's reportedly brought in the past. Simply put, Bynum wasn't worth it.

But with the seven-foot center now removed from the team, it'll be interesting to see if Hibbert's numbers can return to what they looked like pre-February.