Pot control or protection? Discuss this texture

[Genz]

I've been playing a little 20NL to work on my game and implement new concepts. Esp. manipulating the pot size. This is a spot that I have been in pretty often and I'd like to have feedback. Please elaborate your responses.

Villain is running 17/7/oo over a very small sample. So as a default I assume that he is nittish and won't call light. So I don't want to play a big pot against him with a single pair, because I feel he won't go far in a hand oop without solid values. So I'm not pot/pot/pushing my overpair here ever.

There is no converter for the site I play on. So bear with me.

Game is 20NL 6Max.
Villain has $21.67 and is sitting UTG
Hero covers and is sitting in MP

Hero is dealt A [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img] A [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

Preflop:
Villain opens with a raise to $1, Hero reraises to $3.10, it's folded around, Villain calls.

Flop: 9 [img]/images/graemlins/diamond.gif[/img] J [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img] K [img]/images/graemlins/club.gif[/img]
Villain checks, Hero???

I don't like this board. Many big pairs that a nitty villain might raise but not 4bet preflop with have made a set here. Many broadways have a draw. Those are mostly gutshots and since I suspect nittiness on villain's side, I might not be supposed to worry about those too much, but since villain could also be aggressive, I'd hate a c/r or a float here. And since I want to keep the pot small, I certainly want to check one street. In the best case he's holding AK and it doesn't matter if I bet this street or the next, because he prolly won't stack off with it so there is only a limited amount of money that I need to get into the pot. So the question is:

Why is this flop the right one to check and get closer to showdown? Or why is it the wrong one?