Here are some sights, sounds (I still can't get "Just The Way You Are" out of my head) and notes from my two days in Miami to work the sidelines for the Pacers vs. the Heat for ESPN's game broadcast.

The Indiana Pacers' three victories so far might be enough to qualify them as the NBA overachievers of the year. They went through training camp working on an approach for a team that lost Paul George to injury and Lance Stephenson to free agency. Then half of their rotation players were wiped out by injuries right before the regular season started.

The Pacers tried to stick with the same system. But as the injuries to David West, George Hill, C.J. Miles, C.J. Watson and Rodney Stuckey lingered the Pacers had to realize that what they thought of as their temporary team was going to be their actual team for a little while longer. They were caught in an unexpected rainstorm, and have considered reworking things to accommodate who they are. Somehow, in the midst of trying to decide whether to reconfigure their approach, they managed to win their third game of the season.

The only players who have maintained their expected roles are starting center Roy Hibbert and his backup, Ian Mahinmi. So it’s the old coaching quandary of plugging players into a system or adjusting a system to suit the players…while those players are adjusting to playing with each other.

The Hibbert-Copeland-Solomon Hill-Lavoy Allen-Donald Sloan lineup the Pacers used in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat had played together for only 13 minutes, according to 82games.com. And that's the group that expanded the lead.

In some cases it’s not just different roles, it’s different positions. After the New York Knicks used Copeland at power forward, the Pacers are playing him at small forward.

“I’m a decent athlete, but I’m not one of those super-athlete guys,” Copeland said. “I get by on just skills and fundamentals, pretty much. So playing against these guys who are a lot quicker and more athletic coming off a ball screen [is difficult].”

In the regular season, playing hard can overcome a multitude of issues. And effort is one thing the Pacers have provided consistently, as evidenced by rebounding, the most effort-based statistic. They’re the third-best rebounding team in the NBA, second-best in offensive rebounds. They destroyed the Heat on the boards Wednesday, 53-28.

Talent tends to win out in the NBA. What the Pacers have done is find a way to give themselves a chance while they're devoid of talent. Of their six losses, only the Memphis Grizzlies beat them by double-digits. Teams look at Indiana’s lineup and expect a night off, but the Pacers never give it to them.

* * *

Where do the Pacers go from here? It’s not really up to them. David West and Roy Hibbert have player options for next season. If they come back and Paul George returns from his broken leg, the Pacers will try to make another run at it with this group. If not, the Pacers will have ample room under the salary cap in the summer of 2015, giving them the flexibility to reconfigure their team.

One of the things they hope to get from this season is the development of Solomon Hill, their first-round pick in 2013. He’s showing signs of improved shooting, hitting 36 percent of his 3-point shots so far after shooting 30 percent last season. They already love his defense, and it’s notable how vocal he is about defensive assignments and adjustments, both in the huddle and on the court.

* * *

This might seem convoluted, but ride it out: the Heat are a good team because they don’t know how good they are. Just listen to Dwyane Wade discuss the mix of new players, plus returning players who dramatically shifted roles.

“It was hard early on,” Wade said. “We started off 0-4 in preseason because we were all trying to figure each other out. We were trying to figure out kind of a new system. And also trying to get rid of the comfort of knowing we can do it, which we’ve done the last four years.”

Get rid of the comfort?

“The one thing that’s cool about this team is that we didn’t know,” Wade said. "We knew we had individual pieces, but you come into games not really knowing if you have enough every night to overcome a 20-point deficit or a 10-point deficit. The last few years we kind of knew we could overcome it. Right now, the excitement of it is figuring it out together.”

Now it makes sense. There’s a regular-season lull that comes with proven greatness. This version of the Heat hasn’t proven anything, so every night is a new opportunity and adventure.

* * *

Erik Spoelstra said the decision to start Norris Cole at point guard came by accident. Mario Chalmers was out for a preseason game, Cole started and Spoelstra liked what he saw.

While playing with the second unit means Chalmers can be more assertive, it hasn't helped Chalmers shoot more accurately. His field goal percentage is at 40 percent, down from a career-high 45 percent last season

Chalmers seemed plagued by uncertainty during the NBA Finals, when he weighed the possibility that those games could be his last with the Heat. But the free agent was re-signed to a two-year contract in the summer, which he called “a big relief.”

“I never wanted to leave in the first place,” Chalmers said. “I feel like Miami is home to me. I’ve been here my whole career. Hopefully I can stay my whole career.”

One last note on Chalmers. Maybe it was just a little self-deprecating joke, or maybe it showed where his confidence level is right now, but when I asked Chalmers if the Nintendo character on his T-shirt was Super Mario or just regular Mario, Chalmers said: “This is Super Mario. I’m the regular one right now.”

* * *

The two greatest unofficial job titles are mogul and guru. The two greatest official job titles are consultant and ambassador. You should aspire to be at least one of those four things.

For example, recently retired Heat player Shane Battier’s new title is Miami Heat ambassador. Apparently, part of the job description is singing “Just The Way You Are” to promote an upcoming Billy Joel concert at American Airlines Arena. Yep, he gets paid to do karaoke.

Battier is learning another benefit to ambassadoring. (See, another sign of a great job title is if it can’t properly be used as a verb). While talking with a few reporters before the news conference, Battier said one of the best parts of his new role (in addition to speaking engagements) is using parts of his mind he’d shut off during his 13-year playing career.

“The thing that struck me in just having time to meet people is that there’s a whole world out there of fascinating people doing awesome things,” Battier said. “They’re changing the world. And sometimes, especially in this business, you’re caught up in the next shootaround, the next game, the next practice, the next flight. You have a very myopic view of just the world. And that’s been the most fun part is talking to people and being part of conferences and speaking to groups and having amazing conversations ... it’s amazing, it’s stimulating and it’s exciting to finally be a part of it.”

Battier always came off as one of the players who was well aware of the world beyond the court. If he says he was insulated, it lets you know just how cut off from reality most pro athletes are.