Indiana Pacers second round draft pick Orlando Johnson spoke with the local media on Tuesday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and what we learned was that if you can't root like crazy for Johnson you may be lacking a pulse.

The 23-year old rookie shooting guard arrives in Indy with a man's soul thrust upon him by a series of tragic events that make him beating the odds and getting drafted in the NBA even more impressive. Conrad Brunner and Bob Kravitz capture the story nicely in their work today. As for the basketball side of the story, Johnson expects a lot out of himself and seems ready to prove he can make an impact in the NBA.

As for the free agency news in the links today, the Pacers continue looking at bench depth with several players mentioned as being on the Pacers radar. One new name in the mix is former Pike star, Courtney Lee who is suddenly an unrestricted free agent and for the right price would be a nice replacement for Leandro Barbosa.

Check out the links after the jump.

• Orlando Johnson Meets the Media | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
• Johnson ready for next challenge with Pacers - Brunner
• Bob Kravitz: Pacers’ Orlando Johnson credits family with helping him overcome tragedies | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
• Larry Bird Conversation - ESPN Video - ESPN
• Source: Eric Gordon agrees to maximum deal with Suns | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
• Pacers: Add Green and Mahinmi to the list | Pacers Insider | The Indianapolis Star | IndyStar.com
• Podcasts | Orlando Johnson with Dan Dakich on 1070 The Fan
• Twitter / MikeWellsNBA: Pacers show legitimate interest in Carlos Delfino
• Deron Williams has chosen Brooklyn Nets over hometown Dallas Mavericks - ESPN New York
• Jason Terry has agreed to become a Boston Celtic, as Dallas’ shakeup continues | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports
• Houston Rockets Free Agency: Courtney Lee Getting Plenty Of Interest - SB Nation Houston
• Source: Godeln State Warriors meet with Brandon Roy - NBA - SI.com
• Nicolas Batum is angry at Portland, except he’s really not | ProBasketballTalk
• Winderman: Dallas blew it all up for this? | ProBasketballTalk