"Chemistry" was the word Larry Bird threw around Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday.

Will improved chemistry translate into more than 35 victories and an end to the Pacers' one-year hiatus from the playoffs? That remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the Pacers are relying on camaraderie to offset an uneventful summer. They open camp Tuesday at the Fieldhouse.

"I'm very confident that this team is going forward," Bird said. "I like the additions we made. You look around and you see big names in other places in the (Eastern Conference) that people feel are ahead of us. But through hard work and practice, chemistry plays a big part in everything we're trying to do.

"I think we're a lot better team than we were last year."

After failing to work out a trade with Dallas or Golden State, the Pacers are expected to release veteran point guard Darrell Armstrong on Monday, a person with knowledge of the situation said Friday night.

Armstrong is expected to sign with the Mavericks after he's released, the person said.

Armstrong, who has a non-guaranteed contract with Indiana, would have been the odd man out with the Pacers because Travis Diener is penciled in as starter Jamaal Tinsley's backup. Andre Owens and Marquis Daniels can also play the position.

Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams missed a court hearing Friday and faces the threat of arrest if he misses another hearing Monday.

Williams faces a misdemeanor charge of driving without a license. Defense attorney John Tompkins said he told Williams he needed to attend Friday's hearing.

Williams was jailed on an initial charge of marijuana possession after a traffic stop this month, but prosecutors dropped that charge.

A few MU football fans moseyed away from their tailgates to catch a glimpse of the MU men?s basketball team at its open scrimmage on Saturday. In the process they stumbled upon a former star, Kareem Rush.

Rush is hoping to make a bigger impact with the Pacers than he did in his other NBA stops with the Los Angeles Lakers, and Charlotte Bobcats.

?My agent has been talking to the organization and I?ve got a chance to fight for a starting position,? Rush said. ?I?m definitely going to see heavy minutes. I?m excited about the opportunity and hopefully I can take advantage of it.?

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star spoke with Esteban Batista?s agent, Marc Cornstein, Thursday after the Boston Globe reported the Pacers are one of a handful of teams interested in the forward.

?The Pacers have expressed interest and we?re pretty close to (making) a decision,? Cornstein said.

Charlotte and Phoenix are also reportedly interested in Batista, who averaged 20.8 points and 12.4 rebounds during the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. Batista, who would give the Pacers another big body in the front court, obviously likes the international game because he only averaged 1.7 points and 2.5 rebounds in 8.2 minutes in two years with the Atlanta Hawks.

Shawne Williams chose not to hide behind a written statement about his arrest earlier this week.

The contrite second-year Indiana Pacers forward held a news conference at Conseco Fieldhouse on Friday and said he "expected to be held accountable" for his actions during his arrest following a traffic stop.

"It's been devastating," Williams said. "I feel like I let my organization, my teammates, down, along with the Simon brothers and my family."

For a variety of reasons, the Pacers aren't interested in re-casting Sarunas Jasikevicius in a backup role. Jamaal Tinsley is firm as the starter with Travis Diener the primary backup ? and there is enormous confidence in Diener's ability to handle the responsibility. Marquis Daniels and Andre Owens add further options for Coach Jim O'Brien.

Jasikevicius reportedly is scheduled to earn $4 million in the final year of the contract he signed with the Pacers in 2005 and doesn't appear to have a role with the Warriors ? who are looking for point guard help but apparently don't believe he's the answer.

Wherever he winds up, it seems likely Jasikevicius won't play again for Golden State.

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have suspended second-year forward Shawne Williams three games for failing to adhere to standards of behavior expected by the team. The three-game suspension will be served for the Pacers? first three games of the regular season against Washington, Oct. 31, Miami, Nov. 2, and Memphis, Nov. 3.

Williams and two occupants of his vehicle were arrested Tuesday morning by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police during a traffic stop. While formal charges have not been brought, the Pacers are disciplining Williams based on their rules and regulations pertaining to conduct of their players.
 
?We are making it clear to our players and our fans that this franchise is going in a different direction,? said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. ?Shawne put himself in a position that placed the franchise in a poor light. He?s a good kid who made a bad decision. Our franchise is in a position now where the responsibilities, conduct and standards of the players off the court weigh as heavily as they do on the court.?

Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird said he was "extremely disappointed" by the arrest of forward Shawne Williams early Tuesday morning, and indicated disciplinary action was forthcoming.

Williams, 21, was charged with marijuana possession, driving without a license, driving with an expired license plate and failure to signal a lane change. He was released from Marion County Jail at 10:30 a.m. without having to post bond. He is scheduled to appear for an initial hearing before Marion Superior Court Judge Linda E. Brown at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Police also found a stolen 9 mm semiautomatic handgun in the backseat of Williams' car after Williams told them there was no weapon in his car.

Williams is the fourth Pacer to be arrested since October.

Police arrested Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams this morning on marijuana possession and driving-related charges during a traffic stop.

Williams, the Pacers first-round draft pick in 2006, was held the Marion County Jail this morning on initial charges of possession of marijuana, driving without a license, driving with an expired license plate and failure to signal a lane change, records show.