Mark Montieth of Pacers.com has a new mailbag column that addresses several topics relating to the Pacers, who are off to a disappointing start to the 2012/13 season. Here are the highlights:
- Monteith believes the hot start to the season for Lance Stephenson is sustainable because of the fundamentally sound form to his shooting stroke.
- Despite the hole that Danny Granger's injury creates in the team's lineup, Monteith writes that Donnie Walsh is not presently planning to pursue a trade or free agent as a stopgap.
- The Pacers want to keep forward David West, who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. However, Monteith doesn't believe they will discuss an extension before summer.
- Monteith doesn't think rookies Orlando Johnson and Ben Hansbrough will see playing time anytime soon, because it would throw an already-uncertain rotation even further off.