http://www.indystar.com/article/2010...tarting-lineup
You also need to say:
By Mike Wells
IndyStar
You also need to say:
By Mike Wells
IndyStar
Swingman Mike Dunleavy doesn't have to be reminded about the uncertainty related to his role with the Indiana Pacers.
There are eager, young teammates ready to take his minutes.
There are questions whether he will get back to being the player who averaged 19.1 points a game three seasons ago.
And there's free agency awaiting Dunleavy after the season.
He prepared himself all summer, ready to prove the skeptics wrong and let his younger teammates know they will have a fight on their hands if they expect to take his minutes.
"I'm ready," Dunleavy said. "I had a good summer. I don't have any predictions or anything like that, but I'm ready to play."
The reason Dunleavy is feeling good is he experienced a summer of basketball without any rehabilitation work required on his right knee for the first time since 2007.
Dunleavy would rather erase the past two years from his memory.
Knee problems, which eventually led to major surgery, limited him to 18 games two seasons ago, and he was never comfortable last season when he averaged 9.9 points, his lowest since his rookie season.
He said last season felt similar to his rookie year with Golden State.
"Last year, I don't think he had the strength in his legs or the confidence or a combination of both," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We missed a guy with a basketball IQ that's off the charts. I missed his scoring off slashes to the basket and his ability to stretch the court."
A couple of days into training camp and Dunleavy is already showing signs of his former self.
His jumper is fluid. He has been giving rookie Paul George a tutorial on moving without the ball in the half court. He showed how quickly he can get up the court when he took a pass from point guard Darren Collison, split the defense and made a left-handed layup while being fouled in a scrimmage Wednesday.
"You can definitely see that he's getting back to the way he was before he got hurt, and we've missed the old Mike," forward Danny Granger said. "He makes everything easier for everybody out there."
The wing is the Pacers' deepest position. Dunleavy is competing with Granger, George, James Posey, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones and even Lance Stephenson.
"When I'm healthy, I'm pretty good," said Dunleavy, who also is playing for his next contract. "That's one of the advantages. The other thing is I'm pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions, probably four positions. Hopefully we'll have some minutes for me."
O'Brien has Dunleavy working with the first team in practice because Rush, penciled in as the starter, is suspended the first five games of the season after failing the league's mandatory drug test for the third time.
Dunleavy wants to show enough that O'Brien will have a difficult decision on who will start at shooting guard when Rush returns.
"Every coach likes to know who he can rely on," O'Brien said. "We know what we're going to get out of Mike. He's going to give you great help-side defense. He's going to really execute what we're trying to do offensively, because he knows it allows him to be his best. Mike is very reliable for us."
The wing is the Pacers' deepest position. Dunleavy is competing with Granger, George, James Posey, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones and even Lance Stephenson.
"When I'm healthy, I'm pretty good," said Dunleavy, who also is playing for his next contract. "That's one of the advantages. The other thing is I'm pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions, probably four positions. Hopefully we'll have some minutes for me."
O'Brien has Dunleavy working with the first team in practice because Rush, penciled in as the starter, is suspended the first five games of the season after failing the league's mandatory drug test for the third time.
Dunleavy wants to show enough that O'Brien will have a difficult decision on who will start at shooting guard when Rush returns.
"Every coach likes to know who he can rely on," O'Brien said. "We know what we're going to get out of Mike. He's going to give you great help-side defense. He's going to really execute what we're trying to do offensively, because he knows it allows him to be his best. Mike is very reliable for us."
There are eager, young teammates ready to take his minutes.
There are questions whether he will get back to being the player who averaged 19.1 points a game three seasons ago.
And there's free agency awaiting Dunleavy after the season.
He prepared himself all summer, ready to prove the skeptics wrong and let his younger teammates know they will have a fight on their hands if they expect to take his minutes.
"I'm ready," Dunleavy said. "I had a good summer. I don't have any predictions or anything like that, but I'm ready to play."
The reason Dunleavy is feeling good is he experienced a summer of basketball without any rehabilitation work required on his right knee for the first time since 2007.
Dunleavy would rather erase the past two years from his memory.
Knee problems, which eventually led to major surgery, limited him to 18 games two seasons ago, and he was never comfortable last season when he averaged 9.9 points, his lowest since his rookie season.
He said last season felt similar to his rookie year with Golden State.
"Last year, I don't think he had the strength in his legs or the confidence or a combination of both," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "We missed a guy with a basketball IQ that's off the charts. I missed his scoring off slashes to the basket and his ability to stretch the court."
A couple of days into training camp and Dunleavy is already showing signs of his former self.
His jumper is fluid. He has been giving rookie Paul George a tutorial on moving without the ball in the half court. He showed how quickly he can get up the court when he took a pass from point guard Darren Collison, split the defense and made a left-handed layup while being fouled in a scrimmage Wednesday.
"You can definitely see that he's getting back to the way he was before he got hurt, and we've missed the old Mike," forward Danny Granger said. "He makes everything easier for everybody out there."
The wing is the Pacers' deepest position. Dunleavy is competing with Granger, George, James Posey, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones and even Lance Stephenson.
"When I'm healthy, I'm pretty good," said Dunleavy, who also is playing for his next contract. "That's one of the advantages. The other thing is I'm pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions, probably four positions. Hopefully we'll have some minutes for me."
O'Brien has Dunleavy working with the first team in practice because Rush, penciled in as the starter, is suspended the first five games of the season after failing the league's mandatory drug test for the third time.
Dunleavy wants to show enough that O'Brien will have a difficult decision on who will start at shooting guard when Rush returns.
"Every coach likes to know who he can rely on," O'Brien said. "We know what we're going to get out of Mike. He's going to give you great help-side defense. He's going to really execute what we're trying to do offensively, because he knows it allows him to be his best. Mike is very reliable for us."
The wing is the Pacers' deepest position. Dunleavy is competing with Granger, George, James Posey, Brandon Rush, Dahntay Jones and even Lance Stephenson.
"When I'm healthy, I'm pretty good," said Dunleavy, who also is playing for his next contract. "That's one of the advantages. The other thing is I'm pretty versatile. I can play a lot of positions, probably four positions. Hopefully we'll have some minutes for me."
O'Brien has Dunleavy working with the first team in practice because Rush, penciled in as the starter, is suspended the first five games of the season after failing the league's mandatory drug test for the third time.
Dunleavy wants to show enough that O'Brien will have a difficult decision on who will start at shooting guard when Rush returns.
"Every coach likes to know who he can rely on," O'Brien said. "We know what we're going to get out of Mike. He's going to give you great help-side defense. He's going to really execute what we're trying to do offensively, because he knows it allows him to be his best. Mike is very reliable for us."
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