IC Cold Links: Granger On A Scoring Frenzy During Preseason

by spstevenson on Oct 17, 2009 10:46 AM EDT in News Comment 2 comments

More photos » Darron Cummings - AP

Roy Hibbert tries to do something with the ball during the Pacers impressive win against the Rockets on Friday night. Coach Jim O'Brien said Hibbert has earned the starting center spot.

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There is nothing better than scouring the internet to links about a Pacers win -- even if it's still just preseason.

Last night's dominating victory of the Rockets highlighted some exemplary progress by certain players on the team, and it also allowed Danny Granger to get his mojo back by scoring 22 points in just 18 minutes. After four preseason games, in which the Pacers hold a 2-2 record, Granger is nearly averaging a point per minute of play. Of course, it's still just preseason. But that's not going to stop me from being overly excited about it.

So check out the jump for links such as the Pacers landing on NBATV's top 10 highlights, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert effectively landing starting positions, and UNC's attempts to get Pacers rookie Tyler Hansbrough back in a Tar Heel blue uniform.

Granger gets quick start for Pacers
Mike Wells reports on Granger's fantastic offensive performance last night, which the star forward never intended to happen. Granger had this to say about his preseason shooting barrage.

"I think it's maturity," Granger said. "I see the game a little bit better. I see the opportunity to score. I see the opportunity to do things I haven't seen in the past. Hopefully it'll carry on and I'll go into the regular season at full speed."

Pacers Insider: Looks like it's going to be Hibbert and Rush
Another Mike Wells report from the confines of Conseco "Reggie Miller" Fieldhouse shows that coach Jim O'Brien is pretty set on going with his two second-year players at the 2-guard and center starting spots at the season-opener. O'Brien cites Rush's ability to shoot the ball well and the fact that Hibbert is the only Pacer on the roster to can play the low-post as reasons for the promotions.

Bruno's Pacers vs. Rockets live blog
Missed last night's game? Check out Bruno's live blog to help guide you through the game.

Friday's Top 10 - NBA Videos and Highlights
The Pacers made the #7 and #9 highlights in NBATV's daily top 10. Luther Head's brilliant 4-point play against his former team was the lone highlight for the blue and gold. Here are also two NBA.com links to the box score and to a photo gallery of the game.

AP: Granger's 22 points lead Pacers past Rockets
Here is the Associated Press' take on the Pacers win, as well as a link to the Houston Cronicle's gamer about the Rockets' defense taking a step back after the game against Indiana.

BDL's 2009-10 NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers
Yahoo! Sports' Ball Don't Lie is at again with another set of previews for the NBA season. This is one is on the Pacers. Check it out for a humorous take on the blue and gold. Also, check out this preview by SLAM Online.

CIB: Deficit is not as deep as we feared
The IndyStar is reporting that the CIB's deficit in the hole is actually better than anyone could have thought. But the Pacers are still looking for resolution as to who will pay the $15 million operating cost of Conseco. The Pacers say there is some urgency in getting the deal done.

Tar Heels already miss Tyler Hansbrough
The Boston Herald tackles the subject that is on the mind of Tar Heel players, coaches and fans. Where's Tyler Hansbrough? The former four-year star at UNC is now on the Pacers, but his presence is still being felt back at UNC where he left a massive hole on and off-the-court.

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Comments

There is no question Danny Granger can score. This guy could potentially be a top 3 scorer in the league. I believe he could average 27-30 plus a game for the next several seasons. The questions now become: Can he be a leader? Can he play defense? Can he get his teammates involved on both ends of the court? Can he get this team to the playoffs? Can he win a playoff series? And most importantly…. Can Danny Granger win this franchise an NBA championship? He is clearly the future of this team. The Pacers have rewarded him with a contract extension and tried to put some players around him for the future (Rush, Hibbert, Hansborough, Price). I really hope he can. Not only am I a die hard fan of the Pacers, I am a huge fan of Granger.

by davis3217 on Oct 17, 2009 2:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I really don't like that BallDontLie article...

Although, I do agree with the point on resigning Marquis Daniels… once again revisiting the fact that he would fill the void we WILL have at SF this season when injuries hit, as they already are.

Rasho was a solid player but they had to let him go for the exact reason he pointed out about Jack. Rasho is a player that can keep you at .500 but can’t help win championships in my opinion. They had to let him go to let big Roy come into his own. For the sake of the future of the franchise.

So in essence we let 2 .500 players go, as well as a good role player, and signed 3 more role players that fills holes we had last season. Jones filled the defensive roll we need at the 2 spot that Jack did not fill, regardless of his scoring ability (that Head should fill). So that has to be an upgrade.
We let a Rasho Nesterovic go only to replace him with another position we needed, an athletic PF with the ability to get up and block shots. We have another above average C in Jeff Foster, who actually makes the team better when he’s on the floor. Sure he doesn’t shoot the ball as well as Rasho, but he passes just as well if not better. Plus he’s a better defender and rebounder, we didn’t need Rasho other than to fill the void while Hibbert matured.
The Signing of Jones only helps us. The addition of a defensive minded, passing, veteran point guard can’t be a bad thing.

I don’t really understand what would make him think any of these moves were downgrades. Once again I think this was an article that was written just to say they did it, overlooking the teams they didn’t find interesting just to get to the next “interesting” team.

~SHaFF!~
The Little Sports Blog That Could:
http://www.thelittlesportsblog.blogspot.com/

by SHaFF87 on Oct 17, 2009 4:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs