While waiting for all those league sources (aside from anyone in Denver) to be proven correct and a Tinsley trade to be announced, here are a few items of interest from the Pacers camp:

• Bruno focues on Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert and the impact they may have on this team. The rooks are critical to a exceptional season this year, but Jim O'Brien won't be handing out rebuilding minutes to either. Sounds like they'll have to earn their way into the playing rotation.
• Mike Wells digs into JOB's recent praise of Marquis Daniels and finds a healthy Quisy ready for his utility role at both ends of the court. Also, as offensive plays are put in, Rasho Nesterovic is proving worthy of having his number called, plus he's showing some leadership from the post. Nice. Maceo Baston discusses his happiness about returning to Indy.
• Pacers Insider offers a Wellsian review of the first week of camp and his brief impressions from watching part of a scrimmage.
• Playing time appears to be there for the taking for Ike Diogu in Portland and he plans to take advantage. Good luck, Ike!
• Tear off the wrapper, smell the freshnes and enjoy. The first preseason box scores of the year are available for your perusal.

Bruno has us covered with today's practice report and there's plenty of good news to report. Jim O'Brien gave a glowing assessment of his team's effort thus far in camp and went so far as to shut down two-a-day practices for the rest of camp.

"I had a pretty good handle on the team before we came into training camp and they're making the strides I thought they would make," O'Brien said. "The attitude, I thought, would be great and it is. They never take a break. And they're all very unselfish.

"We still have a long way to go but they all have an idea of basketball. They understand basketball. Many, many times there are one or two guys on your team that just aren't picking things up and you have to spend more time with them. That's not the case here. As a result of having fairly high basketball IQs we can move through things fairly rapidly."

If JOB is anything, he's demanding so don't think he's being soft on his players. Conditioning is a critical component of JOB's playing style, which includes demanding practices throughout the season, sometimes on game days. If he says he's happy with the conditioning level of his team, then I'm happy too.

Also, it sounds like the defensive emphasis JOB has been detailing is starting to take hold. This team will be judged by its defensive effectiveness. I know it, you know it and the American people know it. JOB knows it, too, so again, if he's happy with the strides the team's defense has taken thus far, then I'm happy too. Jack Ramsay's happy? I'm happy.

OK, enough smiling.  There are some more nagging injuries cropping up. Jeff Foster missed Saturday's practice with a sore hammy. Shawne Williams and Maceo Bast both missed Friday night's practice but returned for Saturday. Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy and Travis Diener all remain sidelined.

The injuries don't appear major but it certainly tempers and excitement about the team's progress. When 2-3 starters are missing time, there is still plenty of work to be done to blend them back into their role once their ready to return. But with the full roster pulling together and working toward the same goal mixing players in and out of the lineup shouldn't be a problem. Let's just hope everyone sticks with the program.

Umm...where's Rasho? My apologies for bastardizing The Bard but I enjoy fiddling around with words and since Hicks raised the thought a few weeks ago, the question remains today: Where is Rasho Nesterovic?

We've had tons of welcome-to-the-family features and events revolving around T.J. Ford, Jarrett Jack, Brandon Rush, Roy Hibbert and even included Maceo Baston and Josh McRoberts. In fact, I think McRoberts is cleaning the locker room, washing cars and calling every season ticket holder just to say, "Hi."

Rasho? Nothing.

I realize he played for Slovenia this summer and is probably on an extended European stay back home. But phones work over there, right? Some kind of acknowledgement would be nice. Is he as excited to begin the season as the rest of the new guys? Has he been working out and getting ready to play his role? What does he like to do in his off-time?

Wait, I know the last one. Rasho probably likes to take it easy; he's not a guy that likes to go out, more of a home-body. Likes to go to movies. How do I know this answer? Because that's roughly how ALL the new guys have responded to a similar question. I want to know who's handing out the Eddie Haskell script down at the Fieldhouse? Why not just make is crystal clear and have them swear not to hang out after hours with Jamaal Tinsley, Marquis Daniels or Shawne Williams?

So the questions about Rasho remain as we sneak into September on Monday. It would be nice to know his status with the team; otherwise I'm left to begin speculating that his sweet, expiring contract is going to be used as part of another big deal prior to the season. Flipping the roster flexibility Rasho offers so quickly would be a shame, but David Morway and Larry Bird still have rough waters to navigate in their quest to improve the team. First and foremost, moving Jamaal Tinsley. If Rasho is used in an effort to move the team forward then so be it. At this point, I'd rather Rasho play the role of deal sweetener than Jeff Foster.

Pacers.com has some extended interviews up with TJ Ford, Brandon Rush, Jarrett Jack, Roy Hibbert, Maceo Baston and Josh McRoberts. Chris Denari and the always lovely Stacy Paetz (don't worry Denari, you're lovely too) pry some personal information out of the new guys. Did you know Brandon Rush would like to have a pet monkey? Now you do.

These offer up some nice info on the players and are well produced and edited. Now to take the entertainment value up a notch, we need some outtake clips from these babies. Really, if you have to bleep a few words, no one will mind.