Hibbert should defend himself, but needs to be smart

Roy is ready to rumble.

While much of this season has centered on whether or not Roy Hibbert could live up to expectations as a team leader and put into action summer instruction from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, something else has developed within the Indiana Pacers center.

An edge.

Basketball is a physical game and the centers take the majority of the pounding and bruising. However, the days of Hibbert simply getting up after a hard foul or brushing off a late shove have ended. Hibbert has vowed to defend himself from perceived attacks and has shown this assertive pledge throughout the season, especially in the Pacers' last two games.

"I don't want to get too specific but I'm not going to let somebody just push me," Hibbert said. "I'm going to stand up for myself."

During Monday night's win over Utah, Hibbert earned his fifth technical foul of the season – and second on consecutive nights. All five of Hibbert's technical fouls have come from altercations with opposing players, shoving back to protect himself.

Though Hibbert stands an intimidating 7-2, his reputation does not match his size. Suns point guard Goran Dragic speaks freely on how he views Hibbert as the easiest player to score on. Lakers forward Carlos Boozer has no problem calling out Hibbert as "not a tough guy."

Even a no-name 76er, Malcolm Thomas, felt comfortable enough to throw Hibbert to the ground with a cheap shot in the season opener. A man can only take so much and Hibbert has decided to act.

"Not trying to be a tough guy. I'm just going to hold my ground. I'm not over here trying to start fights with people throughout the game and stuff like that," Hibbert said. "I'm just going to stand up for myself, just not going to let anybody push me like that. People know about that and people think they can just keep doing that. Other teams see that.

"I got a phone call from my mom (after the Lakers game) and she said she would, 'whoop my ass' if I didn't stand up for myself," Hibbert added, noting it was a change from her past advice telling him to turn the other cheek.

Hibbert is not the only big man confronted by physical play. Throughout his career with the Clippers, Blake Griffin has mostly exercised the same peaceful doctrine that Mrs. Hibbert once preached – and it hasn't worked.

By mid-November when the Clippers came to Indianapolis, Griffin had already been the recipient of two forceful flagrant fouls, including one by Utah's Trevor Booker that seemed like the many hits Griffin has taken over the years.

"The thing is, Blake doesn't care about physical play. Blake doesn't like cheap play," Rivers said. "It's the fouls that can injure a player, that I would get upset at that Blake would get upset at. (But) even then, he's even been able to control that. He's allowing the league and the refs to do their jobs. There are days I think he's a better man than me, but I need him to be that better man, I really do."

And there's the catch. Hibbert should and must defend himself, but he has to be smart. On Sunday night, Hibbert took extreme exception to a foul deemed as Flagrant 1 from Boozer – a shove sending him to the floor. Hibbert popped up to his feet and charged Boozer with two closed fists, but only made contact below the neck. Hibbert should be happy he didn't have better aim. If he had connected a little higher, he would've been ejected.

Then on Monday, Hibbert overreacted to a slight push from Utah's Rudy Gobert, who didn't like the way Hibbert had fouled his teammate. Hibbert shoved back, menacingly pointed a finger towards Gobert and later continued playing with a mean streak by swinging a high elbow while trying to secure the rebound against Gordon Hayward. Again, it's good thing for the Pacers that Hibbert's elbow did not find a target.

Though these Hibbert's retributions may come mother approved, what happens when he doesn't bring it back from the edge and gets ejected? The Pacers can't afford that to happen. With Ian Mahinmi still out with a torn left plantar fascia, Hibbert remains the team's lone rim protector and focal point of their still standout defense.

After Hibbert fouled out on Monday with 55.7 seconds remaining, the Jazz's Derrick Favors attacked the paint and drew a blocking call on the much smaller C.J. Watson, who couldn't defend the shot and was trying to take a charge. That play allowed the Jazz to cut Indiana's lead to 101-100 with nine seconds remaining and the Pacers shakily walked away with the 105-101 win.

There's nothing wrong with Hibbert sticking up for himself but the Pacers need him more than he needs to exact vengeance.

WATSON FINED FOR FLOP

Pacers guard C.J. Watson has been fined $5,000 by the NBA for violating the league's anti-flopping rules for the second time this season. The league announced the fine on Tuesday.

The flop came Monday night with 7:07 remaining in the first quarter of Indiana's victory over Utah.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Follow Star reporter Candace Buckner on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.

Pacers at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, FSI