"T.J. Ford just wanted clarification.

He didn't need to be a starter or be guaranteed a certain number of minutes each game. He just didn't want to bounce in and out of the Indiana Pacers' lineup for the third straight season.

The veteran point guard wanted to know what his role would be this season. The answer came during an offseason phone conversation with coach Jim O'Brien.

"It makes things a lot easier knowing where you stand when you communicate," Ford said. "Once coach and I talked about the role he wanted me to perform, I knew what to expect this season."

Ford, who was trade bait all summer, could make his first start of the season tonight against the Atlanta Hawks at Conseco Fieldhouse. Starter Darren Collison is questionable after injuring his left ankle in practice Monday. Second-year guard A.J. Price will back up Ford if Collison does not play.

"I'm just playing my role," Ford said. "When he (O'Brien) needs me and he calls my name, I'm ready. If he calls it, great. If he doesn't, I'm over there cheering on the guys out there playing."

Ford hasn't been a distraction despite losing his starting job three times and knowing he's not part of the team's long-term plans.

"I have a lot of respect for T.J.," O'Brien said. "He's a man in every sense of the word. He's a good communicator and he's open-minded."

Ford, a starter most of his career, has accepted being Collison's backup and thrived under it. O'Brien has been using the seven-year veteran late in games.

"I want to go with as much experience as possible," O'Brien said. "I think T.J. has the most experience of our point guards. I want to go with him down the stretch."

Ford's statistics are modest -- 5.8 points and 3.5 assists per game -- but he brings stability and knowledge to the position. At the same time, Collison has struggled grasping O'Brien's ball movement offense.

"You can tell he's more comfortable with the system and the guys," swingman Mike Dunleavy said about Ford. "Something just kicked in for him and he understands things a lot better. He's been playing solid basketball for us.""