Nate Taylor

nate.taylor@indystar.com

Pacers at Bucks, 8 p.m. Wednesday

INDIANAPOLIS – Ultimatums from coach Nate McMillan are given at almost the same rate as his demands to run full-court sprints. Every veteran on the Indiana Pacers’ roster was required by McMillan to improve in some area. Included in that group was Lavoy Allen.

McMillan’s challenge was simple and the consequence for failing was clear: Prove in the preseason you deserve minutes or sit on the bench and watch us run an up-tempo offense without you.

Allen, a sixth-year forward, said Monday he didn’t change his approach. He began training camp in better shape and was ready to run and keep up with the new pace. Allen, never known as a scorer, has with each preseason game demonstrated his value. He is usually in the right spot on defense, he collects rebounds aplenty and can make the occasional midrange jumper.

McMillan, just as former coach Frank Vogel understood, has seen more positives than negatives with Allen on the court. As the Pacers enter their final exhibition game Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks, McMillan appears more comfortable in starting the regular season with a 10-player rotation. Included in that rotation is Allen.

“Lavoy is making it very difficult not to have him out there in that rotation,” McMillan said last week. “He’s been really consistent with his play. What he does well we need, which is rebounding. He does a good job of making guys better out on the floor. He’s had a good training camp. Right now, I don’t see how we cannot play him, so we want him to continue to do the things he’s doing.”

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By appearance, Allen isn't the prototypical power forward the Pacers want. He is 6-9 and 250 pounds. He is not explosive and will not play above the rim. Yet Allen is mobile enough to run and score in transition and is strong enough to beat opposing frontcourt players for rebounds.

When Allen started 28 games last season, he was used in traditional lineups to help the Pacers defend. Now, as Thaddeus Young’s backup, Allen believes the change in style should benefit him.

“I actually like this offense better,” he said. “It’s more ball movement, more shot opportunities for me and other guys. I definitely like playing fast. The more shot opportunities, the more misses and the more chances for offensive rebounds.”

Ah, yes, no Pacer is better at securing a second-chance scoring opportunity than Allen. Almost half of his 29 rebounds in the preseason – 14 – have been on the offensive end. When describing Allen’s rebounding ability Monday, McMillan called him a monster.

“We all got to find our niche in the league,” Allen said. “As long I’m rebounding, I can stick around a couple more years.”

Another reason Allen has found success in the preseason is because he has enhanced the Pacers’ ball movement. He may not shoot the ball a ton – he’s taken just 20 attempts in five preseason games – but Allen has put pressure on opponents by making quicker decisions about where the ball should go.

He knows that was not the case last year, as he mostly set screens for teammates Paul George and Monta Ellis.

“Last year we was in a transition phase, I felt,” Allen said. “We talked about running a lot last year, but we never actually did it. There was a lot of times where we just walked the ball up and put all the pressure on Paul and run plays through him. We would give him the ball with short shot clock and make him do something. This year, we have a lot of guys who can score.”

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One of those teammates is Al Jefferson. When Allen was drafted in 2011, he reached out to Jefferson. The two began training together and became friends.

“He’s definitely one of those guys I looked up to,” Allen said. “It’s great to have his wisdom on this team and play alongside him. It’s going to be a great experience and I can’t wait for the season to start.”

Allen and Jefferson have played most of their preseason minutes together. Jefferson said Allen is one of the most underrated players in the league and is a better passer than he anticipated.

“He doesn’t get enough credit for the way he rebounds the ball on both ends, really,” Jefferson said. “He has a nose for the ball. I think it’s going to work out great for me and him.”

Injury report

C.J. Miles missed Monday’s practice with a sore left knee. The Pacers have listed Miles as day-to-day, but McMillan said the veteran small forward is not allowed to do basketball activities in order to rest his knee. McMillan said Miles’ knee was examined last week by the training staff, but he would not specify whether it was an X-ray or an MRI. McMillan said the test showed no structural damage. Miles, a 12th-year veteran, has missed the Pacers' last four preseason games.

“I don’t expect him to practice tomorrow,” McMillan said. “I think he’s starting to feel a little better, but he’s doing nothing with the team right now.”

Pacers waive Poythress, Zeisloft

The Pacers waived undrafted rookies Alex Poythress and Nick Zeisloft. Poythress, a 6-7 forward, played in two preseason games and scored one point. Zeisloft, a 6-5 guard, played in one game and did not score. Both players are expected to play for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers’ Development League affiliate.

Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter: @ByNateTaylor.

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Pacers at Bucks, 8 p.m. Wednesday