Brandon Rush could start with the Indiana Pacers
Before returning from a five-game suspension, Pacers head coach Jim O’Brien reported last week that he couldn't give enough playing time to guard Brandon Rush. But after only a week, the
veteran coach has had a sudden change of plans, and is currently looking to start the former Kansas standout.
According to O’Brien, he will likely make his first starting lineup change this season when the Pacers go up against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, 9 November at the Conseco Field House.
Mike Dunleavy, who is struggling to find his form this season, will likely be relegated to the bench, in favour of Rush, who was the team’s starting shooting guard last season, but was suspended
for the team’s first five games after failing a drug test.
According to the
Indianapolis Star, O' Brien said “We have to look seriously at Michael because he has not been real productive." Dunleavy missed the team’s practice on Saturday, 6 November because of a sprained right knee.
The 30-year-old forward, Dunleavy, who is a former Duke standout, is only shooting 34.6 per cent from the field, including a lacklustre 24.0 per cent from beyond-the-arc this season, which
was way beyond his average last season.
“It's a combination of things,” O’Brien said. “Guys go through hot and cold spells with their shooting. He's too good of a shooter to be shooting what he's shooting now. The second thing
is, we are not getting into our passing game on a regular basis. We are really, really hurting a guy like Mike when we don't do that.”
Rush’s return will add depth to the wing rotation of the Pacers, composed of Dunleavy, Danny Granger, and Paul George, giving Rush the luxury of reducing the playing time of USA Team member,
Granger, to make him more effective on the floor.
“It'll help to have Brandon back,” O’Brien said. “Brandon is going to fit in and he's going to be an important part of the rotation. This will allow Danny's minutes to decrease so he can
become more effective.”
The Pacers started the season on the wrong foot, losing three of their first five games, but they will try to bounce back from their two-game losing skid against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday,
9 November.
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