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I haven't played at all in the last three games, so this is another new experience for me.

I wasn't really surprised because Brandon Rush came back after missing the first five games and he's a phenomenal player. It's good to have him back but it's tough at the same time. You're pulling for someone but at the same time you're hoping for the opportunity.

Now I have to be patient, which can be hard, but it comes with the job. I'm a rookie so that's what I've got to expect. When my time comes, I've just got to stay patient and be ready.

The funny thing about it was I felt like I was starting to warm up into the offense, starting to get more aggressive and then the minutes got cut back. I kind of felt like, 'Was I messing up?' It's kind of a setback for me mentally, it kind of hurts, but I've just got to keep working.

What I have to do is really bring it at practice. I've got to treat practice like games now. If I can bring the intensity it will not only make me better it will make my teammates better. If I bring the pressure and intensity in practice, guys will be prepared for it when the games come.

I can only come to practice, work hard and hopefully the opportunity is given and I can make the most of it.

All the vets have been telling me they had to go through the same thing their rookie year and some of them had worse stories than I did. It is what it is. It's just an adjustment I have to make.

I've never seen anything like the roll our guys got on last night, making 20 in a row in the third quarter against Denver.

It was amazing. And it was fun to really see Mike (Dunleavy) start to get his groove back. He's been struggling with his shot in games and practices. It was good to see someone like Mike get it going because you're really pulling for him.

When I got the opportunity to go into the game, I just wanted to enjoy the same feeling those guys that were blowing them out were feeling.

Brandon Rush came back last night and played really well. I'm not really sure how his return is going to affect my playing time. I'm going to continue to work hard and try to sustain some minutes in the rotation.

With Brandon being back, he's a good guard. He's definitely somebody I have to compete with but I'm up for the challenge.

Overall, my confidence level is going up by the game and I'm starting to get more aggressive offensively and defensively.

Really, defense has been getting me going. I find that's my time. When that first sub comes in at the wing, which has been me lately, I'm finding myself being that energy guy and a guy that digs in defensively. It's really been getting me going. I feel like it's been making me flow better on offense, as well.

Starting off early on it was difficult to find and adapt to where my shots were going to be. But now I feel like I know where my shots are going to be within the game. Within this offense, there's still room to improve as far as spacing and cutting and knowing where guys are going to be. If I can get to that level of knowing my teammates, that's what I've been trying to work on the most.

I had major butterflies before the home opener and I don't think they'll ever really go away. I've been told "you don't have a love for the game if you don't have butterflies." They come with the game. But it was a whole other magnitude for the home opener. There still will be butterflies when big teams come in such as Denver.

One of the great things about being in the NBA is just to have the chance to go up against a guy like Carmelo, to get a glimpse of what he's about. There already have been a few moments like that for me.

I remember the first game of the regular season in San Antonio, playing against Manu Ginobili, that's a player I looked up to because he's such a great shooting guard. Getting the chance to go up against him and compete, it's totally different watching on TV as opposed to guarding him. His tricks are so quick and he's got so much game, it's tough to defend him.

My shot is starting to fall. It really has been a matter of getting into a flow. Danny has helped me with that.

We've been playing one-on-one after practice and that really helps me out because Danny's a pretty good defender. So now I'm starting to get the rhythm down of a defender guarding me, of getting up shots and getting by defenders and shooting. It's something that I asked him to do just to get me comfortable.

I really wasn't worried about shooting coming in, it was more defense. Now that my shot is falling it's helping me on both ends of the floor.

Something else I'm starting to learn about is all the chaos with the fans, coming off planes and buses. I still don't understand how they know our travel schedule. It's kind of crazy to me. I think I've signed more autographs in the last few weeks than I did in four years of college but it's something I enjoy doing.

There were some butterflies before my first summer league game with the Pacers. Then there were a lot of butterflies for my first preseason game. With the first regular-season game Wednesday night and then the home-opener on Saturday, there's a whole other set of butterflies.

My parents will be here for the home opener and a lot of family is coming out to show some support, as well. I'm looking forward to it. Hopefully we can start the season off at home on a good note.

I'm probably going to need around 10 tickets for my family, which isn't too bad. Players get three tickets so I'll have to hope some of the other guys have tickets they aren't using to try to get some from them. Being a rookie, that may be tough.

Looking back on the preseason, I can say those games and training camp were more about the mental aspect of the game for me. I think that's what this game is really all about, out-thinking the opponent. Your brain is constantly working throughout the game, just trying to find matchups, where you need to be offensively and defensively, everything is just a whole thought process and that's what I've been trying to get down.

On the offensive end I know shots are going to be there and I haven't really been worrying about shot selection or getting shots up or anything like that. Defense is what I'm really trying to key on right now.

Coach O'Brien has told the media that I'm going to be in the rotation right away mainly because of my defense and hustle. It helps your confidence knowing your head coach puts you in the rotation. The defensive end is really where I want to make my mark early on. If I can do that, I know the offensive end will start to work, start to get going and shots will start falling – eventually. The defensive mindset is what I want set in stone.

I've been struggling with my shot and I've got to admit it's starting to play with my mind a little bit.

When you're struggling, you start to think about that next shot, whether it's going in or not and that's something I've got to break out of. I've always had a habit of being self-conscious about my shot if it's not falling. That's something I've got to work on and just start playing basketball.

Previous blogs

• Sept. 29: Offseason work paying dividends in training camp
• Sept. 8: Indy starting to feel more like home
• July 29: After a brief break, it's back to work
• July 9: A tiring but rewarding experience in Orlando
• July 8: Rookies already forming tight bond
• July 7: The shots will fall, eventually
• July 6: A few nerves, but overall a pretty good start

Training camp is here and I already feel like the work I did in the offseason is starting to pay off.

Obviously, I'm a rookie and I'm still learning but I do feel like I'm at least close to the same level of preparation as the veterans. The goal was to avoid being too far behind and in that respect I think I'm right where I want to be.

As hard as you work in the offseason, the intensity increases when camp starts. Everything's a little faster, a little tougher, but that's what you expect. We'd be selling ourselves short if we didn't go hard right now. The intensity is there, guys are in great shape and we can really put the energy out there and have the energy sustained throughout the whole practice.

Training camp is the time to get prepared for when the real season comes. I want to be a contributor. I don't want to be on this team for the potential and the long run. I actually want to be able to help right away.

This time of year is all about work but the team had some fun before camp started.

We had a great team outing last week. First, we went and played laser tag and then we went to Bub's Burgers in Carmel to do the same challenge that was on the Man. vs. Food TV show. It's a one-pound burger called the Big Ugly. If you eat one, you get a little picture on the wall. If you eat two, you get a bigger picture. I think only two people have ever eaten three.

I was done after one.

I enjoyed my one burger and had some fries, too. A one-pound burger can't hurt me. I can use that extra pound. But I didn't want to try for another one because that might've put me behind for camp.

It was fun, a good time for our team to get out. We were pushing each other. We all wanted to finish those burgers so we could get our picture on the wall. It was one of those times where you really build some chemistry.

The day before we start practice is media day when we have to go through all these various stations, posing for different photos and videos, sign autographs, talk to the media and do online chats with the fans. It's fun for me. I always have fun when it comes to that sort of thing. It's where I can put on a smile and really just be myself.

Probably the best picture was when I got to wear a Dr. Seuss hat with a bunch of kids to promote a reading program. I've still got that hat. It might be mixed in with my wardrobe one of these days.

Previous blogs

• Sept. 8: Indy starting to feel more like home
• July 29: After a brief break, it's back to work
• July 9: A tiring but rewarding experience in Orlando
• July 8: Rookies already forming tight bond
• July 7: The shots will fall, eventually
• July 6: A few nerves, but overall a pretty good start

I'm getting settled and Indy is starting to feel a lot more like home. At least I'm not living in a hotel anymore. I've got a spot literally five minutes from downtown so I can walk to work.

It's been good. Being settled there gives me the chance to really get around, know where the stores are and just be adapted more. Now that I've got my spot, when I have some downtime I can watch the cooking channels. When you're on your own you need to learn how to cook a meal for yourself.

The people here have welcomed me with open arms. It's starting to feel like I've been here for a while, starting to feel like this is home now. I've adjusted to the environment and me being here longer and longer, this is my primary place.

There hasn't been too much downtime, though. Along with a lot of the guys I've been working out at Conseco Fieldhouse. It almost feels like a 24/7 situation but it's been good for me, it's been beneficial.

I'm trying to condition my body and get ready mentally for what we've got to go through in training camp. It's good that I've been here because the veterans already know what to do so it's important to stay in the same loop, on the same page, as them. And it's a good chance to get a lot of reps leading up to camp.

I'm starting to feel more comfortable with what coach (Jim O'Brien) wants me to do and how to really take care of the ball. I feel like I'm a totally different player from the beginning of summer league to now. It's just continuing the repetitions, starting to feel more comfortable, starting to be able to read plays and be able to create.

Even though camp is still three weeks away, we're doing some serious work now.

If I can get it down now, put the work in, put the time in, I'll be prepared and be on the same page as the veterans when it comes to training camp. That's why you put in this time in the summer, so training camp doesn't creep up on you.

I know to be great, or even to be decent, you have to put the work in. I want to be great so I want to put in extra work. You put in what you want to get out. I didn't expect it to be any other way.

Previous blogs

• July 29: After a brief break, it's back to work
• July 9: A tiring but rewarding experience in Orlando
• July 8: Rookies already forming tight bond
• July 7: The shots will fall, eventually
• July 6: A few nerves, but overall a pretty good start