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Roy Hibbert has thrived off the bench and with small lineups. (NBAE/Getty Images)

The small lineup may have sent Roy Hibbert to the bench, but it won't minimize the importance of the 7-2 center to the Pacers' plans both present and future.

"Absolutely not," said Jim O'Brien. "As a matter of fact, one of the reasons we're going to this type of lineup is to grow Roy and make him more effective in the low post because when you're spacing people they really can't come off him and it ends up being one-on-one down low."

Troy Murphy has started the last two games at center in a small lineup with Danny Granger at power forward, while Hibbert has come off the bench. Hibbert has actually been more productive as a reserve this season, averaging 22.0 minutes, 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and .526 shooting in eight games. In 38 starts, he averaged 24.1 minutes, 10.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and .486 shooting.

"I can be even more aggressive off the bench because I get a chance to really watch the game, see what's going on and see if I can make some adjustments," Hibbert said. "I feel just as comfortable coming off the bench as I do being a starter.

"It's (playing against) a group of guys that are probably more tired and I get to be more aggressive, get more calls or whatever. I can try to be more of an impact player when I come off the bench."

He certainly was that Wednesday night, leading the Pacers with 21 points in 28 minutes against the Lakers. He struggled defensively against Andrew Bynum, who got off to a torrid start against Murphy, hitting his first eight shots.

Quiet All-Star Weekend for Pacers

It looks like the Pacers will not be represented during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Dallas.

Hibbert was not selected for the rookie-sophomore game, as the Nets' Brook Lopez and the Grizzlies' Marc Gasol were named to the center spots.

O'Brien hopes Granger is named an Eastern Conference reserve but the Pacers' top scorer isn't widely considered a prime candidate.

"I think people in the league know of his abilities," said O'Brien. "I think missing as many games as he has missed certainly will factor into it. But they know how good Danny is."

Kobe or LeBron? Is there really a wrong answer?

With Kobe Bryant and LeBron James visiting this week, Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star asked Pacers players and coaches to compare the two uberstars.

Wells broke the comparison into the following categories: jump shot, killer instinct, defense, playmaking, game on the line, and who'd be the first pick.

Kobe got a slight edge in the jump shot category ("LeBron can shoot it well but he does it because they're like three feet off him when they defend him. You can be up on Kobe and he'll still make it," said Danny Granger) and defense ("When it comes to guarding somebody and getting a stop, I'll put Kobe on anybody," said Brandon Rush).

LeBron got the advantage in playmaking ("because he's averaging more assists and he has the ball in his hands more," said Rush).

The rankings in the other categories were even.