Shawne Williams News

After a cursory perusal of about a dozen preseason NBA magazines and Web sites, I can tell you that nine of 10 experts -- not to mention podiatrists, Wall Street stock traders, plumbers and entomologists -- believe the Indiana Pacers will miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year.

In these parts, that's hard to believe. This is Larry Legend, the guy who took Indiana State to the NCAA finals, who won three titles and three MVP awards with the Boston Celtics as a player, took the Indiana Pacers to the finals as a coach and even helped the WNBA's Indiana Fever reach the finals as team president this past season.

Opening Night rosters in the NBA have to be finalized Oct. 26. The Mavericks thus have a shade under two weeks to make the two decisions they've been weighing since the start of training camp.

The Indiana Pacers aren't making any moves in free agency right now, but they are in the media spotlight.

THE `BURBS - The decision not to pick up Marquis Daniels' $7.5 million team option was not an easy one for the Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers don't believe quick fixes and knee-jerk reactions are the way back to the playoffs, so they are giving Jim O'Brien the rare chance to keep guiding an NBA team after back-to-back losing seasons.