Danny Granger has been dealing with a heel injury all season, and it ended up being a torn right plantar fascia.  Granger was out December 6th to January 5th because of it, and since his return he has not been the same offensive threat Pacers’ fans have grown accustom to seeing.  It’s normal for a player to struggle a bit in his first few games back from injury, but Granger has played in 15 games since his return and is still struggling.  In those 15 games since his return from injury, Granger is shooting 39% while averaging 20.3 points, 3.0 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.  He is really struggling with his outside shot, hitting only 31% of his threes, which makes you wonder if his heel is still bothering him.  He just isn’t getting the same lift as he usually does and that can really affect a true jump shooter’s shot.  The Pacers have struggled a lot this year and are 17-32.  Danny Granger and his ailing heel are the main reason why.

The Pacers will be without center Jeff Foster for the rest of the year because he needs back surgery. Foster played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Pacers this season and he averaged 15.9 minutes, 3.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The Pacers were trying to trade Foster to teams needing help in the paint but that all ends just like Foster’s season. The Pacers won’t miss Foster too much the rest of the way as they weren’t playing him much anyway.

Danny Granger was an All-Star and the winner of the NBA Most Improved Player Award last year for the Indiana Pacers, but a heel injury has set the Pacers’ star back this season.  After missing over a month for the Pacers due to his heel injury, Granger returned January 8th and is still trying to get his consistency back.  Granger was able to put together some good games against the Raptors, Suns and Nets (all wins) but his shot has not been as consistent as it was for him last year and earlier this season.  Since his return, Granger has played in 7 games in which he has shot 37.% from the field.  In the Pacers most recent game, a blowout loss to the Heat, Granger had only 8 points on 2-16 shooting.  Granger is the Pacers’ best player by far, and he is really going to need to get himself out of this funk or they will continue to struggle.

The Indiana Pacers (9-17) were ice cold from the field and it cost them the game last night against the Milwaukee Bucks (12-14).  The Pacers did some things well, like winning the rebounding battle 56-44 and getting 9 steals, but they hit only 36% of their shots and turned it over 18 times.  Roy Hibbert had a strong game for the Pacers, getting 16 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.  Tyler Hansbrough made a big impact off the bench for 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in just 21 minutes.  The Pacers couldn’t stop the Bucks’ Andrew Bogut though, who had a career-high 31 points and 18 rebounds.  They also let Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings hit a jumper with 28 seconds to put the Bucks up 5 points.  The Pacers played hard, but they shot terribly and couldn’t come through with stops down the stretch.

The Pacers will be without starting shooting guard Danny Granger for the next 4-6 weeks due to a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Granger has played in 17 games (all starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 36.6 minutes, 24.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocked shot per game. He is impossible to replace but Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush will likely get more minutes with Granger out and they need them both to play well. Jones has played in 18 games (12 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 32.8 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jones will probably be the starter while Granger is out at shooting guard and he will likely do a decent job. Brandon Rush has played in 18 games (15 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 26.8 minutes, 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. The Pacers expect more out of Rush so maybe he will step up soon.