EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Mark Jackson	7.9 APG	Last year before Travis Best takes over
SG	Reggie Miller	.915 FT %	Will benefit from new rules on offense
SF	Jalen Rose	11.1 PPG	True 3 had best season, still can improve
PF	Dale Davis	.533 FG %	Now the only Davis in town
C	Rim Smits	14.9 PPG	Minutes must be kept way, way down
SF	Austin Croshere	3.4 PPG	Mullin's on the bench, McKey's hurt
SF	Al Harrington	2.1 PPG	19-year old having great camp, may start
SF	Chris Mullin	73 threes	Remember when he was averaging 26?

		With Larry Bird announcing this will be his last year, it leaves the Pacers in a lame-duck situation. Also, losing Antonio Davis hurts them. I don't believe Jonathan Bender, even if healthy, will replace Davis immediately. Maybe in the future. Many people felt Antonio Davis was their best power player, even with Dale Davis. Time is running out for the Pacers. Rik Smits has looked good in the preseason and obviously needs to stay healthy. The Pacers are sliding a bit, and I'm not sure they will be as good as they were last year. They are still formidable in the East, though, and will fight for the top spot.

This season, the Indiana Pacers are regarded as old news -- old being the operative word.

But the Pacers would like to issue a bulletin to those who believe their time has passed: The final chapter to their story has yet to be written.

Though the trade that sent valuable reserve Antonio Davis to Toronto was the first major signal from management that the breakup of the team is imminent, the remaining players draw strength from the fact that no other team in the East is without at least one major flaw. Simply put, nobody in the conference scares the Pacers -- or anybody else, for that matter.

There is no doubt, however, that a breakup is looming next summer when four of the team's top six players will become free agents: Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, Reggie Miller and Rik Smits. Bird has also already announced his intentions of leaving the bench after this season.

Bird simply hopes the questions about the future won't become a distraction.

"It's a tough situation, but they're getting paid for this year," Bird says. "I expect them to play. I expect them to play hard. Then, after the season's over and they're free agents, they can stay if they like it here. If they don't, they have an opportunity to go somewhere else."

	Player to watch
	Davis Dale Davis has never been asked to score much, but now with Antonio Davis gone and Rik Smits only a hobble away, this Davis needs to score more. The defense has never been a problem, and his foul shooting is not nearly as foul as it used to be, but with increased minutes should come double digits in points and rebounds, every night. Nobody else here can do that.

Point guard
Jackson finds it humorous that the league, in its attempt to speed up the game, has come up with a rule designed to thwart one of its slower players.

Namely, him.

The so-called "Mark Jackson rule" is supposed to eliminate the tedious, ball-pounding back-downs into the post which became Jackson's bread-and-butter last year.

If the rule really does limit Jackson's ability to use his strength and post skills, the Pacers might have to turn more often to Travis Best, who has the speed and open-court skills the new rules are intended to encourage. Jackson's lack of quickness made him a defensive liability all last season, and though Best doesn't have the experience of Jackson, he has spent the last four years as Jackson's understudy.

Bird will shuffle Jackson and Best in and out as situations dictate, but just how long Jackson sticks as the starter will depend on how well he adjusts to the rules changes.

Shooting guard
There are two theories concerning Miller's subpar production last season. One is that at age 34, he has simply begun the inevitable physical decline that all athletes must face. The other is that, in Jordan's absence, he lacked that motivational carrot to drive up his own performance level. Miller posted decade lows in scoring average (18.4) and field goal percentage (.438), and completely failed to exert his will on the playoffs. That memory, combined with the fact he was not offered a contract extension this summer, should serve to motivate Miller to a bounce-back year.

The new rules should help. If the league does intend to clean up action away from the ball, Miller should be able to find shots easier to come by because defenders won't be allowed to grab, clutch and bump him as he winds his way through screens trying to get open.

It's unclear who will serve as Miller's backup. Rose, who handled it last year, is expected to start at small forward. That leaves an opening for a pair of free agents, Shannon Smith and veteran Mitchell Butler.

Small forward
This is Rose's big chance. After a strong year as sixth man, Rose is expected to replace Chris Mullin in the starting lineup. Though he might have trouble with the more physical small forwards in the league, Rose has the quickness on the defensive side and the ball-handling skills to make things happen offensively.

If Rose falters, there will be plenty of players willing to step up, beginning with Mullin, who should thrive as the second unit's designated shooter. Austin Croshere is bigger, stronger and healthy and appears poised for a breakout year. Ditto for young Al Harrington, who looks ready to play after serving a one-year apprenticeship.

Veteran Derrick McKey could start a season healthy for the first time in three years, which could have a major impact on the Pacers' team defense. The same can't be said of rookie Jonathan Bender, who fractured a bone in his wrist in the first preseason game and will miss valuable preparation time.

Power forward
Dale Davis always wanted more playing time. Now that Antonio Davis is in Canada, he'll get as much time as he can handle. He showed signs that he's ready to take control of the position with his performance last year, including raising his free throw percentage enough (.618) to make Bird comfortable leaving him on the floor in crunch time.

Team president Donnie Walsh thought enough of Jeff Foster to trade his first-round selection, Pittsburgh guard Vonteego Cummings, and a lottery-protected future first-rounder to Golden State in order to move up five spots to acquire him. He's considered an excellent physical prospect but needs polish.

Center
The future of this position is, at best, shaky. After considering retirement, Smits is back to play out the final year of his contract. Bothered by chronically sore feet, Smits had an erratic regular season and then was a virtual non-factor in the playoffs. When his feet are bothering him, Smits isn't effective in the low post because he lacks the ability to pivot freely, forcing him to become a jump-shooter. His decreased lateral movement also makes him more prone to foul trouble.

Walsh hoped Sam Perkins would thrive as Smits' backup, but age has caught up with, and apparently passed, the laid-back veteran. Enter Zan Tabak, the ex-Rocket and Raptor from Croatia who runs well and has offensive skills but hasn't been a particularly aggressive rebounder or defender in his career. Foster may eventually be able to help but needs bulk and experience.

Coaching
After winning the league's Coach of the Year award as a rookie, Bird experienced something of a sophomore jinx in his second season on the bench. In the process, he learned the valuable lesson that what works one season doesn't necessarily work every year.

His hands-off approach was easy for the players to accept two years ago because Bird was learning the ropes. Last season, however, they wanted more direct involvement from the head coach, who instead chose to allow assistants Dick Harter and Rick Carlisle to handle many of the in-game decisions. He'll be more vocal this year.

Bird's decision to announce this would indeed be his final season sets up a potential major distraction. He'll also have to deal with more younger players, something that did not appeal to him when he took the job, all while keeping his veterans focused on the ultimate prize.