http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/feature_har...ton_040223.html The adjustment from Sixth Man to starter for Al Harrington is bigger than simply being introduced to the fans a little earlier in the evening. He is changing primary positions (from power forward to small forward) and offensive roles (from go-to scorer with the second unit to complementary weapon with the starters). Harrington?s ability to find his groove will be key if the Pacers are to hold off the streaking New Jersey Nets and reloaded Detroit Pistons down the stretch for the Eastern Conference crown. Though the Pacers are 7-1 in Harrington?s eight games as a starter, the team will need sizable contributions from him if that winning trend is to continue in the absence of Ron Artest, who is out indefinitely after thumb surgery. ?It?s big-time change," Harrington said. "I am a (small forward), but when you come in and play all (power forward) for four months, some of your skills are going to deteriorate a little bit. I?ve been working extra after practice, trying to get that back.? Even with the extra practice, Harrington has struggled. He has made three straight starts, dating back to the Pacers? Feb. 17 loss to New Orleans. Not until the second half of a 94-80 victory over Utah on Sunday did he find his offensive rhythm. After totaling 15 points (on 6 of 21 shooting) in 2 1/2 games, he racked up 12 in the second half against Utah. In his eight games as a starter this season, Harrington?s statistics virtually mirror those he put up as the Pacers? valuable Sixth Man. He?s averaging 13.6 points and 6.6 rebounds as a starter, compared to and 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds as a reserve. ?He?s playing a different position, so it?s quite different,? said Carlisle. ?The small forward position is very different than playing the power forward. At times, Al?s even played the center position, so it?s tougher. He?s got to guard quicker guys. But he?s also got to try and score against quicker guys and that could be difficult because those guys front the post and they have quick hands. A lot of teams will have help coming down on him and stuff like that. In many ways, it?s a greater challenge.? Harrington said the constant combination of double-teams has been an issue, but nothing that can?t be overcome. ?It makes me a little more of a jump-shooter and I?m getting double-teamed a little bit more,? said Harrington. ?And it?s always a different double-team, it seems like. It?s just something I?ve got to get used to. It just seems like the double-team is a lot quicker at the three. At the four, sometimes they might square me up and just play me man-to-man, but they double in quick. I?ve just got to play through it. Ron gets the same attention and found a way to beat the double-teams, so I?ve got to do the same thing.? The rotations also are adjusting to the change. With Artest as the starter, Harrington would usually enter the game at power forward in place of center Jeff Foster, moving O?Neal to center. With Artest out, Fred Jones has been first off the bench, replacing Reggie Miller at shooting guard. The front line of Foster and O?Neal remains intact longer early in the game, until Austin Croshere or Jonathan Bender replaces Foster. O?Neal still shifts to center when Foster and Scot Pollard are on the bench, but Croshere, Bender and Harrington become interchangeable at the forward positions. Both Croshere and Bender have benefited from the added minutes and have keyed the victories over Washington and Utah. Carlisle ?There?s going to be times when the offense flows through (Harrington) more often than others,? said Carlisle. ?In the Washington game, the ball didn?t come through him very much. Some nights, that?s going to happen. Then, there?s going to be times when it will. It?s going to be a process of getting used to it for him. There?s going to be a learning curve for being with the starting group and at a different position, but at the same time, he?s played that position coming off the bench for short minutes here and there. Usually when he comes in, he comes in for Reggie and plays (small forward) and Ron plays (shooting guard) for two or three minutes. It?s not like he hasn?t done it. He?s started there in three other games and played significant minutes. It?s different, but it?s not night-and-day different.? Associate Head Coach Mike Brown, who took over the Pacers? bench after Carlisle was ejected against Utah, said the formula for Harrington?s success as a starter has to be the same as it is for him as sixth-man: It begins with defense. ?He started off a little slow, but I thought he picked it up for us defensively in the second half,? said Brown. ?If he starts on the defensive end of the floor, he?ll find ways to get into the game offensively.?
