T.J. Ford came off the bench for the Pacers in Wednesday night's overtime win over the Pistons but says that his sore lower back shouldn't be a season-long issue.

"It's getting there, but it's been a process," Ford said. "It's something I don't think is going to linger throughout the rest of the season. We're making steps and, hopefully, sometime I'll be 100 percent."

Injuries to Ford, Mike Dunleavy, and Marquis Daniels have kept coach Jim O'Brien from learning what kind of team he has in Indiana.

"You don't know what you have until you get everybody, if that ever happens," O'Brien said. "There's no guarantee any team in the NBA will ever get their full contingent of players healthy. When teams do and they have guys in the top eight for a number of your minutes, you can find out what you have."