Like all parents with a young kid, the Indiana Pacers prefer that Jonathan Bender play outside.

Someday soon, however, they'll let him come inside, too.

Bender, the 20-year-old 7-footer, is showing signs of becoming a consistent perimeter threat for the Pacers. Although he's shooting just 37 percent from the field, he's hit a team-high 52 percent of his 3-pointers on 12-of-23 shooting.

That's a major improvement from his first two seasons, when he hit a combined 24.5 percent of his 3-pointers.