Editor's note: This week, ESPN.com spotlights the "team to watch" in each division, continuing with the Indiana Pacers in the Central.

As president of the Pacers, Donnie Walsh has never been afraid of going boldly where others may fear to tread.

Walsh has always chosen strong personalities to coach his teams (see Larry Brown, Larry Bird and Isiah Thomas).

	A healthy Al Harrington will finally join the Pacers' retooled roster.

He has never hesitated to make controversial deals (see Antonio Davis for Jonathan Bender, Dale Davis for Jermaine O'Neal, Detlef Schrempf for Derrick McKey, Jalen Rose for Brad Miller, et al). Walsh is the guy who traded Mark Jackson to Denver in June of 1996, then traded to get him back eight months later.

He will make a risky draft move when he sees talent (see Al Harrington and Bender, who were both selected at age 18 when drafting young wasn't fashionable, and Jamaal Tinsley, even though most found him obstinate and out of shape).

Fifteen years of Walsh's maneuvers finally landed the Pacers in the 2000 NBA Finals, where they danced six games with the Lakers. After two years of retooling in which Indiana slipped to the playoff fringe, Walsh may have his team back in contention this season.

Only four players from the 56-victory team of 1999-2000 remain on the current roster, among them Bender and Harrington (who had no impact on the Finals run), the venerable Reggie Miller and Austin Croshere, whose career crashed after Walsh gave him a $50 million contract.

But from a season of questions, the Pacers won their last five games to finish 42-40 in 2001-02. As the eighth seed, they then pushed the Nets to five games before bowing out.

They got there with a rotation that had been reconstructed in February and without the surging Harrington, who tore his right anterior cruciate ligament last Jan. 23. The last victory of the season -- a 97-74 romp that evened the Nets series at 2-2 -- was achieved with Kevin Ollie, not Tinsley, as the principal point guard. And, yet, Walsh has so much confidence in Tinsley that Ollie is not even on the roster and remains an unsigned free agent as we head toward Labor Day.

With Miller the only player older than 27 on the roster, Indiana is a run-all-day team, maybe the only Eastern squad that can out-sprint the Nets, who will be slowed down if they have to wait for Dikembe Mutombo.

On one level, the season may depend on Isiah Thomas' ability to deal with the multiple egos on this team. Reggie Miller, Brad Miller and O'Neal are free agents next summer. Mercer is a player who needs his shot attempts to be happy. Bender and Artest are young guys trying to carve out playing time, and Fred Jones, the Pacers' first-round pick, could play behind Reggie Miller and get some time behind Tinsley as a combination guard.

"He's the kind of player we've been looking at," Walsh said after taking Jones with the 14th pick. "You could say he's a two-one, or you could call him a one-two, but he can handle the ball, so I think he'll be able to play both positions -- particularly the way Isiah was projecting him to play, which involves a two-guard front. He can bring the ball up the floor."

But the Pacers most likely will bring in a veteran to support Tinsley. If the Nuggets release Mark Jackson as expected, that player could be back for his third stint at Indiana.

	With Miller the only player older than 27 on the roster, Indiana is a run-all-day team, maybe the only Eastern squad that can out-sprint the Nets, who will be slowed down if they have to wait for Dikembe Mutombo.

But Jones has a long list of veteran players running ahead of him. Thomas can easily run a 10-man rotation before the rookie clears the bench. Miller, for one, is in superb shape and coming off a year in which he missed only three games and averaged 36.6 minutes a night.

And Tinsley, who worked hard on conditioning along with Harrington this summer, is showing maturity as a second-year player. Harrington took a big step up before his injury, averaging 13.1 points and 6.7 rebounds. Over the summer, he regained the 28 pounds he lost after surgery and increased his strength. The powerfully built forward appears ready to resume his promising work.

And as good as that development is, the news about Tinsley addresses a more critical problem: the need for a first-class, point-guard performance. "I'm working muscles in my body I never knew I had before," he said recently. "I'm feeling good."

Tinsley battled assorted minor injuries as a rookie because he wasn't in shape. And while he still checks in at about 200 pounds, his waistline has been reduced from a 38 to 34. He is stronger and quicker, making him a better threat to penetrate while he tries to master a jump shot.

In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, Harrington described Tinsley's worth ethic as "crazy."

"I'll be honest," Harrington added, "Last year he didn't have one."

Looking ahead, the Pacers would benefit if they could move Croshere, but the $40 million they owe him over the next five years makes a trade difficult because he's playing behind O'Neal, Brad Miller and Jeff Foster. But next summer, when both Millers, O'Neal, Artest and Bender are up for renewal, Walsh could frankly use the cap space.

In the meantime, Walsh will let Thomas play with a wealth of young talent. And don't be surprised if he has enough on hand to make a strong push at the leaders in the East.

Jeffrey Denberg, who covers the NBA for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.