Many fans have wondered, and so have I about the possibility of Dunleavy returning healthy this season. A lot of people are saying mid-late January, and that is good news for Pacers' fans. If he is, he couldn't return at a better time.

This raises the question of how Danny will continue to produce. I honestly don't think you can slow Granger down unless you are playing him the whole game with not much help. (Prime example last night against Atlanta.) With Mike back in the game, a lot of that pressure and exhaustion will be lifted from Danny.

There is also the thought of stunting Brandon Rush's development adding Mike back into the 2 guard position. Here is a quote from a discussion I had earlier on pacersdigest.com:

Kevin (Lee) had a great point last night (during his Call-In Show). He said that when you draft someone in the first round you draft with hopes that particular player would work for a starting position. I agree with that to the extent of other factors could hinder that possibility.

Brandon is in a unique situation here, where when healthy, our starting "shooting guard" is a force to be reconed with.

I would think that if were to Mike continue to struggle on defense, when the game is mainly going to be in the hands of the opposing team, Rush will play a pivotal role in stopping the ball, and breaking momentum. Thus, putting a rested Dunleavy back in the game so maybe he could help with a lot of the on-court decision making late and avoiding bad plays and turnovers.

Don't expect Rush to miss out on a lot. Jim O'Brien as we all know is very picky with his rotations, and he is only going to play the guys who are playing good consistent games.

With all that said, I will stick by my word. I think that with some healthy bodies, this team will be able to stick with their opponents late in the game, and maybe come away with a few W's.