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After Offseason in Texas, Mahinmi Expecting Big Things

Ian Mahinmi has been knocking around the NBA for seven seasons now, the virtual definition of a backup center: athletic, hard-working guy who doesn't complain, but one who doesn't score well enough to start for a good team.

And yet here he is, primed for the best opportunity of a career some thought was on the brink of extinction not long ago. He's the on-paper starting center heading into the upcoming season on a team full of uncertainty, but also ambition.

Mahinmi hasn't made changes to earn his elevated status, although he has changed his body and, he says, his mindset toward free throws. It's a matter of the Pacers evolving to meet him halfway. His strengths now fit their needs.

Roy Hibbert's departure to the Lakers created an opening in the middle of the Pacers offense, and Mahinmi is there to fill it. He happens to be better-suited for the position's current job description than Hibbert would be. He's a defender, primarily, different than Hibbert but probably just as effective, and he doesn't care about scoring. Hibbert chafed at his lack of offensive opportunities with the Pacers, and they tried to force-feed him often enough to keep him nourished. Mahinmi, however, will be happy to exist on table scraps amid a faster-paced offense in which he'll be surrounded by scorers.

Naturally he's excited, not just for the promotion but for the new way of thinking.

"It's more than me starting," he said. "Overall, (it's) the new system and all these new guys, young guys … the overall vibe is good. We feel good about it."

Mahinmi's coaches and teammates, meanwhile, feel good about the potential reward that awaits him. His work ethic and attitude have never been questioned, and he's always accepted his role without complaint.

That was most obvious two seasons ago when Andrew Bynum was brought in for a test run as a backup center, which bumped Mahinmi out of the rotation (for two games, it turned out). Some people were fooled into thinking Hibbert was bothered by the acquisition, although Bynum was no threat to Hibbert's starting position or playing time. Mahinmi was the one who could have been angry, but he gave no indication of that. He kept quiet and kept working, and resumed his place in the rotation after Bynum's faulty knees ended the experiment.

"He works his tail off," Pacers coach Frank Vogel once said. "Nobody cares more than Ian, about his individual performance and helping the team. He puts a lot of pressure on himself to carry his own weight. His work ethic reflects that."

Mahinmi spent his summer in San Antonio, where he's lived in the off-season since the Spurs drafted him with the 28th overall pick in 2007. George Hill – a teammate on the Spurs in the 2009-10 season – joined him for about six weeks over two visits this summer, taking up Mahinmi's offer of a room for him and his girlfriend. They worked out together at the University of Texas-San Antonio, taking their longtime off-court bond to the hardwood, where they figure to be tag team partners on an endless parade of pick-and-rolls.

That's where Mahinmi's greatest contribution could come. He's more agile than Hibbert, and can get farther out on the perimeter to pick up ballhandlers dribbling off screens, or defend shooters on pick-and-pops. He and Hill worked on that diligently, with local college kids and other players playing offense in the drills.

"I think we'll be a great duo with him down there," Hill said. "It's going to give him a great opportunity to shine. The work he put in was remarkable, how dedicated he was this summer."

Dan Burke, the Pacers assistant coach in charge of the defense, looks forward to having Mahinmi on hand to apply more pressure on the perimeter, and contest more shots around the basket.

"Ian can get away with being at the level of the screen," Burke said. "Roy worked so hard at that, but it was unfair to demand that of him on a daily basis. He was bigger and had to be off the screen more, and sometimes that gave the (opposing) guards more room to play and wreak havoc on our defense. Ian's ability to be up more, and slow that guard down, will allow our guard to catch up and other guys stay home on the weak side.

"Ian's really good on his drops. Roy was a great rim protector, but Ian's a great paint protector."

Hill did more than arrange pick-and-roll defense clinics over the summer. He was in Mahinmi's head, trying to boost his confidence. Those words and this opportunity have injected new life into the veteran, who's put on about 10 pounds of muscle since last season.

"It's always good to have your point guard talking basketball and talking improvement," Mahinmi said.

While Mahinmi figures to be at least equal to Hibbert as a defender, he'll likely be a better rebounder. He averaged 11.2 rebounds last season when the stats are extrapolated over 36 minutes, compared to Hibbert's 10.1 36-minute average.

Mahinmi has two areas of concern, however, issues that need to be corrected for him to hold off challenges for playing time from rookie Myles Turner and free agent acquisition Jordan Hill. He's foul-prone, and he's prone to missing foul shots.

He averaged 4.3 points on 55 percent shooting last season by rarely straying farther than five feet from the basket, but stepping out to 15 feet and shooting free throws became a horror show. He hit just 31 of 102 attempts (30 percent). That obviously needs to improve in the upcoming season, especially if he wants to be on the court near the end of close games.

There's reason for optimism, beyond the fact he can't get much worse. He has a history of decent shooting. He was 9-of-9, of all things, as a rookie with the Spurs in 2007-08. He hit .768 from the line his first season in Dallas, 2010-11. He was over 60 percent his first two seasons with the Pacers.

Last season's plunge, then, was clearly a crisis of confidence. His form isn't terrible, it's primarily a matter of regaining trust. He worked on that over the summer, too, putting up shots and getting accustomed to seeing them go in again. He's made them with regularity while shooting after practice so far in training camp.

He's never dodged the issue, but obviously doesn't like to dwell on it.

"Obviously last year was a poor year for me in that department," he said. "I didn't emphasize crazy my free throws, I just wanted to see the ball go in. Lots of repetition."

He'll have plenty of opportunities to reform this season. For awhile, at least. Threats to his playing time are nipping at his heels, but he's got the best opportunity he'll ever have to establish himself as a capable starting center in the NBA. In a contract year, no less.

Seven seasons down, the biggest one yet to go.

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