I’m hoping for Rush to consistently offer a second perimeter option, and I liked your take on where he can get his shots in this offense. I think he is so team-oriented that his first instinct is to defer to others, and it doesn’t help that the roster is so out of balance in favor of perimeter players. Murphy basically scores from the same areas as Rush and the other wings- you need Murphy to score to win, but the shots he’s taking are the ones you’d normally want from your shooting guard. This isn’t news, but Murphy is a better stretch 4, probably off the bench for a contender, than a starting PF. Maybe Hansbrough gives us more balance when he joins the line-up- if not, the Pacers need to find a PF who is more comfortable closer to the basket than Murphy.

I also agree on Dahntay Jones. Last night, he was like they guy with the shaky jumper who hits his first outside shot and never stops shooting from out there for the rest of the game- even though he never hits another shot. It seemed like both he and O’Brien thought he was an offensive option, but that’s fools gold, I think.

Thanks again for the recap- really enjoyed it.