Timofey Mozgov is everything Roy Hibbert was supposed to be and more. He looks like the new guru of verticality manning the center for the Los Angeles Lakers, staying anchored to the ground while throwing his arms in the air to alter shots and impede driving lanes. Mozgov — a season removed from riding the pine because he simply couldn’t move the way he needed to — looks fluid on both ends of the floor.
Will he be worth the $54 million over four years price tag? That remains to be seen, but his play has taken some of the edge of what was an immediate sting on the dawn of free agency.