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.

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 Pacers are expecting more out of 24-year old SG Brandon Rush. He has played in 41 games (23 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 27.6 minutes, 7.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. Rush needs to improve his shooting before the Pacers even think of giving him more minutes. He is only shooting 40% from the floor and 56.4% from the free throw line and that is just not acceptable for a shooting guard at the NBA level.

I don’t know what the Pacers are thinking as they are starting to play Earl Watson more than T.J. Ford. If the Pacers decide that they don’t want to start Ford then they should just trade him because it’s a sin to leave the better player coming off the bench. There is little doubt that Ford is a better basketball player than Watson is. Ford has played in 31 games (25 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 24.9 minutes, 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. It’s no wonder that the Pacers are awful this season as they just have not figured out that they should get the best players on the court.

Tyler Hansbrough is not shooting too well (38% from the floor) and that should limit his playing time until he gets a little better. He has played in 22 games (0 starts) for the Pacers this season and he is averaging 18.0 minutes, 9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. Hansbrough is showing potential for the Pacers but the Pacers should continue to take it slow with him for the time being.