Pacers release Ron Howard, Darnell Jackson to cut roster to 15

Despite indicating they wouldn't make any cuts this week, it comes as no surprise that the Indiana Pacers trimmed their training camp roster 15 by releasing guard Ron Howard and forward Darnell Jackson.

The Pacers have released guard Ron Howard & forward Darnell Jackson: http://t.co/AEIdNtX6Nl Pacers’ preseason roster is now at 15 players.

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 17, 2013

The two players combined to play just three minutes in the first four preseason games and neither saw the court against Dallas on Wednesday night when four starters didn't play along with Danny Granger leaving the game for good early after straining his calf.

The Pacers roster now sits at the league-allowed maximum of 15 players, although as mentioned earlier, Frank Vogel expects the roster to be at 13 by opening night unless he hears otherwise. Rasual Butler and Hilton Armstrong remain the two players on camp contracts trying to lock up a spot for the regular season. Neither has made a strong case to seize a roster spot, although Armstrong seems to be the best fit among the two.

Feel free to comment with your best Opie Taylor and/or Richie Cunningham jokes as an homage to Ron Howard's departure.

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• NBA Previews: Central and Northwest Division links
• Pacers Links: Talking Danny Granger, Asia trip with Phil Naessens; Pacers just want some sleep