Indiana Pacers: The Danny Granger Issue, Injury Status
By Shane Young
It’s going to be tough to get back to his 18.7 points per game average (from 2011-12) if he can’t avoid injuries this year. Photo Credit: Petaortos, Flickr.com
In a preseason that has been up and down for the Indiana Pacers, the most questions asked by the media after practices and games have been surrounding Danny Granger‘s availability and injury status. After straining his calf in last week’s loss vs. the Dallas Mavericks, Granger was ruled out for the remainder of the preseason. This setback clearly came at an inconvenient time, during the process of Granger’s knee rehabilitation. Many figured this was just an injury that would take a few days to pass by and return to normal form, but the news that broke on Thursday implied that it may have Granger missing the first game of the regular season.
According to Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star, there is uncertainty as to whether Granger will be available for Tuesday’s season opener vs. the Orlando Magic. Head Coach Frank Vogel claims that they underestimated the severity of the calf injury last week and doesn’t believe Granger will be ready to take on Orlando.
"“There’s a chance he could play (in the opener), but it’s probably unlikely,” Vogel told the media after practice on Thursday."
Granger didn’t want to fully count out his chances at playing against the Magic, and explained that the team is bringing him into more basketball activities to see how he feels and sticking with the “day-to-day” status.
It’s crucial that everyone understands this specific injury doesn’t hamper his overall status for this season. It was just a matter of bad luck for Granger to experience the calf issue and it is NOT related to the surgically repaired knee, which kept him out of 77 games last season. In fact, he claims his knee has been cooperating very well throughout training camp and the preseason:
"“I’m really happy about my knee, honestly,” Granger told the Indianapolis Star on Thursday. “I’ve been really happy because my knee has been just fine up to this point, so if I had to get hurt, I was glad that it was just a muscle strain, honestly.”"
Hearing that his knee hasn’t been giving him any problems or pain since training camp is really encouraging for Indiana and their fans. You can bet on Granger playing majority of this season, which will go a long way with helping this team win more games than last year (49). Why do I say “majority of this season?” Well, simply put: We aren’t sure how the knee is going to react to increased intensity that comes with the actual regular season, as opposed to preseason games where winning as huge of a priority. The prolonged season, which includes back-to-backs, longer road trips, and non-stop practice to improve could have a different effect on the knee. But given that he was extremely active in practice (in my eyes) before the calf strain and looked aggressive in the first three preseason games, the knee has been undergoing a lot of game speed minutes and still isn’t a problem. That alone makes me believe we are going to see Granger in it for the long haul this year.
Now, the interesting dilemma.
Another question that discussed this offseason by analysts, fans, and writers was the possibility of trading Danny Granger to receive assets that help the Pacers overtake the rest of the Eastern Conference. With shooting guard Paul George emerging as a top 15 player in the league and center Roy Hibbert playing the best post basketball of the 2013 playoffs, the thought was that the Pacers could become a dominant team if they had a marquee point guard and sent Granger elsewhere. The overlooked component that made these possible trades ridiculous was the fact that Indiana has developed something that most teams can’t; a successful level of chemistry.
Even though he has emerged as the team’s best player, Paul George could really improve with Granger’s veteran presence. Photo Credit: IsoSports, Flickr.com
At any point during this upcoming season, it would make zero sense to send away their second best perimeter talent (Granger) if he is healthy. He is the leading voice of this team, having spent all eight years of his career in Indiana, and makes them a greater all-around team considering he can be their greatest defensive threat and also the leading scorer when he’s on court.
Remember: Granger led the Pacers in scoring for five consecutive seasons before going down with the patellar tendinosis. In those five seasons (2007-2012), Granger averaged 21.7 points and 5.4 rebounds, while shooting 38.7 percent from 3-point territory. To put that percentage in perspective, Kevin Durant‘s shot 38.8 percent from 3-point range in his last five seasons. And we all have fell in love with Durant’s ability to shoot the long ball.
As far as obtaining a marquee point guard is concerned, breaking up a starting five that has improved each year in playoff success and developed a close relationship together would be an abysmal decision. While George Hill is not a Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Tony Parker, or Russell Westbrook in terms of impressive numbers, he is a completely serviceable starting point guard that fits the best with this team. Averaging 14.2 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, Hill has served as the glue to the rising stars this team has, as well as being a quality shooter from the perimeter.
Indiana needs to play their game and not worry about making huge changes this season. The Danny Granger injury issue will be an ongoing story line throughout the the year, but all indications point toward it being a good season for his knee, which could equal another deep run in late-May for this team.