Remember that whole experiment in Indiana last season, when new coach Isiah Thomas placed 6-foot-8 Jalen Rose at point guard, his position at Michigan, in the hopes that Rose would evolve into the next Magic Johnson?

Well, that has fallen by the wayside.

But not necessarily because Rose was incompetent at the spot. No, when the Pacers head into KeyArena this afternoon to take on the Sonics, Rose will be back playing small forward because he was unseated by a rookie, Jamaal Tinsley.

Thomas knows a thing or two about running a team, given his Hall of Fame career in Detroit. And he saw something in Tinsley during the preseason that urged him to scrap the experiment he had gone through last season - some say unsuccessfully, considering the Pacers' lackluster season and first-round ouster from the playoffs.

The decision was not popular. Not only was Rose unhappy, but backup point guard Travis Best, who occasionally started, also is displeased, particularly since his contract is up this summer and he needed an outstanding season to break the bank.

But Thomas stuck with his hunch, insisting the kid - who actually looks more like he is 33 than 23 - could play.

"He's unbelievable," said a gushing Thomas. "You look up and you don't realize he has as many assists as he does or as many points. He plays with great passion and with great heart, that's what I admire most about him."