Indiana Pacers: Meet the New Brandon Rush

The irony of his last name, and the beginning of his NBA career.

Brandon Rush was unable to play in the summer league last season because of a delay in the 2008 draft trade with Portland. This may have led him to be the unstable, nervous player he was for the better part of the NBA season.

Rush seemed at times too hesitant to take over a game with his abilities. He was clearly not confident in his shot, and it became a real concern for the Pacers organization.

After working on things during the season and getting help from teammates, Rush began to change. He started to show more confidence not only in his shot, but in his game as well. This led to Rush developing into a rising star on this Pacers team at the end of the season.

Rush now has a more calm approach to the game, and he doesn't seem nervous at all. He is now able to let the game come to him, instead of trying to make things happen on his own.

During the Pacers' final games last year, Rush seemed to solidify the thought that he would be the team's starting shooting guard for the upcoming season. With constant injuries to Mike Dunleavy, this has almost become a certainty.

After working on his mid-range shooting and three-point shooting, Rush has made giant steps in his game from this point last season. These improvements are expected to lift the Pacers into the playoffs next season.

Playing alongside a healthy Danny Granger next season will also benefit Rush a great deal. The two can be compared in many ways, and the steps Rush has made over this offseason so far mirror those of Granger from a few years ago.

With Rush ready to assert himself into the starting lineup, the Pacers appear to be on their way back up.