FanHouse JimOBrien

About 90 minutes before last night's Pistons-Pacers game, the visitor's locker room at the Palace of Auburn Hills was deathly quiet. With half of the Pacers roster still on the court working out, the other half sat slumped in front of their locker, silently watching a big flat-screen TV with its sound turned off that was showing footage from Detroit's recent preseason game against the Cavs. In other words, it's the kind of situation that makes for extremely awkward interviews.

I broke the silence to talk with Pacers rookie Roy Hibbert about his gaudy preseason numbers (per 48 minutes, he averaged 23.5 points, 15.3 boards, 4.7 blocks ... and 9.2 fouls) and what he needs to do to earn more playing time (remember those fouls?). Later, I also caught up with coach Jim O'Brien for his take on Hibbert's progress.

Matt Watson: You've got your first game in about an hour and a half. Do you have any butterflies about starting your career?
Roy Hibbert: I already got that all out of my system. I just got to go out there and play hard.

Matt Watson: Making the adjustments from college to the preseason, was that tough for you?
Roy Hibbert: [I've been] working on a lot of stuff in terms of getting up and down the court, just learning the offense. It's a different one than college, but I'm getting used to it.

NBA Essentials ranks our six favorite stories of the day.

1. Dallas Morning News. Rick Carlisle wants his Mavericks to be a team of jerks. "'How do you get guys to be nasty? Well, I think hating the opponent is a start,' Carlisle said." I wonder if this means the annual Nowitzki-Nash gala is off?

2. Gelf Magazine. "Why stat-heads and scouts need to kiss and make up to advance the sweet science of the NBA." (That's half of a self-link.)

3. Indy Cornrows. Someone out there is willing to defend Jamaal Tinsley and explain why he's in a feud with Jim O'Brien. That someone is ... Peter Vescey.

4. Associated Press, via GSoM. The Warriors are getting rid of mascot Thunder because of Clay Bennett's swag-jack. Team Robert Rovell reveals Thunder might get ditched in China next week.

5. Los Angeles Times. Wait, Lamar Odom is going to L.A.'s point guard now?

6. Fast Break. Meanwhile in Oakland, Don Nelson can't decide who will man the one for the Warriors.

The Pacers have been up and down and up, but little of it has to do with single star Jermaine O'Neal. J.O., the subject of infinite trade rumors all summer, has played hurt all season... and his play has been consistently underwhelming (13/7 on 39% shooting -- he finished last year at 19/9 on 44% shooting and it was considered a poor effort).

But the mediocrity is easily explainable -- not only has J.O. been playing hurt, he's been playing really hurt. Jim O'Brien told the Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells earlier this week O'Neal's been playing at 60% health. That's terrible, for player and team. It appears things aren't catastrophic down there in the knee -- O'Neal might play Sunday, but only if the medical staff deems J.O. reaches the 90% threshold in terms of how the knee feels. What's the difference between a 60% knee on Wednesday and a 90% knee on Sunday? Who knows?

Despite J.O.'s lackluster season, it's easy to see why he's so important to the Pacers -- his defense. According to 82games.com, Indy gives up 3.2 points per 48 minutes less when O'Neal is on the court. Add in that Jermaine typically faces mostly starters, and it's even more impressive. Whether he is staying in Indianapolis or heading to brighter pastures, his defense is what makes him a star. If he can hold down the paint at 60 or 90 or 110%, he has a ton of value.