Pacers swingman Brandon Rush is handcuffed by drug suspension

Going from a starter to a reserve is not what Indiana Pacers swingman Brandon Rush envisioned when he finished last season strong.

The third-year swingman knows there's a chance that could be his role during the first part of the regular season, too.

Rush is not sulking or complaining about his lack of playing time in the preseason. He knows he has no one to blame but himself.

The former first-round pick will miss the first five regular season games because he failed the NBA's mandatory drug test three times.

"It's all on me," Rush said. "I put myself in this position by messing up."

"There are two issues," O'Brien said. "There would be the issue of where he would be in the rotation if he wasn't suspended. That is an issue separate from the suspension. He has to earn a rotation spot, number one. Number two, clearly he can't be in it the first five games so I'm thinking in terms of obviously other people.

"And depending on how the other people do in the first five games, we'll see how he fits back in."

The wing is the Pacers' deepest position. Mike Dunleavy and Danny Granger are the starters and O'Brien is using Paul George and James Posey off the bench. Dahntay Jones and Lance Stephenson also play on the wing.

"It may be pretty hard (to get back in the rotation)," Rush said. "But, again, I put myself in this position. I just have to work myself out of it."

"We have three guys -- Mike, Danny and Paul -- who are our top three guys at the wing spots," O'Brien said. "Unless something happens, he's going to have to find a way to move above those three guys in order to get the type of playing time he got in the past."