Pacers Return Home As Granger Receives MRI Today In Indy

by spstevenson on Dec 6, 2009 10:26 AM EST in Indiana Pacers News

When somebody tries to define what a "bad" road trip means, they will look at the Indiana Pacers first trip to the West Coast during the 09-10 season. Disaster may be a better description.

Bad losses, season lows on offense and defense, players that disappeared like farts in the wind and another bite by the injury bug has left this Pacers team in shambles as it heads back to Indianapolis today. After dropping an 88-72 defeat to the Clippers on Saturday, Indiana has now lost nine of its past 10 games. Coupled with the loss of Danny Granger and things are looking bleak in Indy. There isn't much to hang your hat on here.

Nobody was sure after the game what the extent of Granger's injury could mean for the immediate future. The star went lame in the opening minute of the third quarter and fell to the ground before being carried off the floor. The injury was diagnosed as a re-aggravation of his bruised right heel, an injury that has plagued him all season long. Mike Wells reported that Granger is expected to get an MRI today and that he left the arena last night with a walking boot on his right foot.

Asked about the injury, coach Jim O'Brien said that Granger was "a key guy". Thanks, Jim. The blue and gold have three days off until they play a Greg Oden-less Portland on Wednesday. Granger, who has only been playing in games and not practicing for several weeks as he tries to rest the heel, would presumably be smart to take some time off to get this thing fixed. At this point, the team is in such disarray that him playing on a bum heel and not getting any better doesn't make much sense. Hopefully we'll learn more today or Monday.

Check out the jump for more links.

AP Story
Box Score
Photo Gallery
NBA.com Recap
Mike Wells recaps the game as he notes that the Pacers are frustrated and unsure about what's going on with this team after a terrible Western road trip.
In the Wells notebook article, fans learn that coach Jim O'Brien is concerned with team's offensive struggles. Are we sure that "concerned" is the right word? Terrified? Perturbed? Appalled? Here's what JOB told Wells before Saturday's season-low 72-point game: "We have a lack of recognizing that when we move we're hard to guard. The fact that we don't move all the time is not good. We're so successful in a movement. When we stand and run set plays, we struggle. It's the same pattern that we had last year. It's trying to figure out the rotation with the guys coming in and out the lineup."
The Pacers Inside The Game team must have had a difficult time trying to choose a Player of the Game for this one. The story features an ~~interesting~~ sickening Stat of the Night: "In back-to-back losses to the Jazz and Clippers, the Pacers were outrebounded 111-72 and outscored 34-3 on second-chance points."
Jared Wade of Eight Points, Nine Seconds is not a happy camper and he vented his frustration about the Pacers lack of offense in a recap of last night's game.
Wells' blog post gives us insight into who he would start as the Pacers coach: T.J. Ford, Dahntay Jones, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert.
Always Miller Time sums up the Pacers week in a picture.
Clippers Blog and Clips Nation had the game covered from the Clippers perspective.
And your latest on Indianapolis-native Greg Oden's season-ending injury courtesy of ESPN.com.

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Comments

wow, we’ve lost 9 out of 10. were we all just completely wrong about this team and the national writers all right. I know we have had injuries but we have just been awful, save for that 5 game winning streak, which is seeming more and more like a mirage.

by Jamison1 on Dec 6, 2009 11:01 AM EST reply actions

My only hope is that public sentiment has reached the point that the organization finally rebuilds.

If Larry continues to accept that it’s needed then he needs to go as well.

It’s not hard to see that building a 30-35 win team, year in and out isn’t going anywhere.

The talent level is really low.

Time to trade for the future. Picks,prospects, cap space.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Dec 6, 2009 3:35 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Not accept.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Dec 6, 2009 3:44 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

This is an embarrassing time to be Pacers fan.

I give it until All Star break before JOB is gone. Well… that is if we had a competent leader upstairs. IDK if Bird is un-stubborn enough to admit his extension of JOB was absolutely retarded… if not somewhat criminal.

JOB has been here long enough. Now think about this.. is he really going to be the coach when we unload these terrible contract? Does anyone really think he is going to be here that long? No, he isn’t.

IMO… unload him sometime during this year. Hire a NEW coach in the league… not another retread. Hire someone new, let him get a feel for the league the rest of the year, let him get a feel for the players whle we suck balls.

by dbcb on Dec 6, 2009 12:58 PM EST reply actions

Playing Granger 40 minutes a night was a swell idea.

by Sparhawk on Dec 6, 2009 2:05 PM EST reply actions

That made no sense to me

“We have to have Dunleavy and Hansbrough on limited minutes in December because they didn’t play in the preseason. We also know Danny is nursing a lingering injury, but…he’s a key guy, so we’ve got him pegged for 40 minutes because he’s a key guy.”

Just sit Granger until he’s got this heel thing under control. I mean, we’re 1-9 in the last ten with Granger (though didn’t he miss a game? Did we win that game?), how much worse off can we be without Granger?

He is improved this year, but we’re not seeing it show up anywhere because he’s also hurt. I’d rather take a few more lumps without Danny and get him healthy than take a few more lumps with Danny and him not getting healthier.

Big issue I’m seeing is not only that Brandon Rush wouldn’t have enough confidence to get out of a paper bag, but when defenses actually focus in on Roy and D.Jones, we are screwed because no one else, sans Limited Minutes Dunleavy, can generate any efficient offense, because we can’t rely on Rush. Oh, how nice it would be to actually be able to lean on him offensively instead of burying him deeper and deeper on the bench, trying to figure out if we can actually get anything for him.

At least Bayless clearly can’t get any playing time.

by Nathan S. on Dec 6, 2009 5:31 PM EST up reply actions

Bayless got 21 minutes on Saturday and delivered 13 points on excellent shooting.

by ThirtyOne on Dec 6, 2009 10:40 PM EST up reply actions

Lol! The Bayless thing you've got going with Tom cracks me up sometimes!

For that matter didn’t CDR of the Nets go in the second round that year? A while bunch of teams missed that one. Including Indiana AND Portland. Can’t win em all. God knows drafting isn’t a perfect science. Two words…Sam Bowie.

by Rush Rules!!! on Dec 7, 2009 1:02 AM EST up reply actions

stop making me cry :(

by dbcb on Dec 7, 2009 5:21 AM EST up reply actions

Great job!

Nice post Tom! Thanks for the linkage

If you booing the Grizzlies, your a dumbass

by JoshDhani on Dec 6, 2009 5:33 PM EST reply actions

Is this bad?

Is this bad for me to want the Pacers to keep losing these games? I can only think of one word that describes this team: limping. We have fought off being one of the terrible team but all we are doing is playing on an injured leg. Playing on it won’t make the leg heal and bring it back to 100%. But I disagree aaronb. There is some talent there, of course not enough for a title, but there are some core pieces. But Jim O’Brien HAS to go. This is unacceptable. I cringe when I see him on the bench. He takes anyone out when they are on a role and doesn’t seem to have a hold of his locker room AT ALL. I don’t see how you don’t pick up a Byron Scott or a Mark Jackson at this point.

And call me crazy here, but I don’t think a lot of the white guys and the black guys get along on our team. Now don’t get me wrong I don’t think they’re racist but just when you read their blogs about each other it seems Dunleavy, Foster, and Murphy are really close and they joke with each other and it seems like there is two different “clicks” in the locker room. Though Diener seems to get along with everybody and Tyler has everyone’s respect so far seeing that T.J. and him seem to becoming buddies.

I may be worng and I may be readin too much into it….. but somethins there…

by B-Huse on Dec 6, 2009 6:15 PM EST reply actions

I’d look elsewhere before manufacturing locker room “clicks” in your mind. Fact is, some of those guys have been teammates together for a few years while there’s been massive turnover the past two years. In the case of Murph and Dunleavy, they’ve been teammates and friends for several years. Foster has been a mentor for Roy since he showed up. I can accept that some players may be tuning out JOB and others may be frustrated since Dun/Hansbro returned reducing their minutes, but those issues aren’t unique to one race in the locker room. If anything, the locker room is too good. It might be better if there were some tension from players holding each other accountable.

Indy Cornrows

by Tom Lewis on Dec 6, 2009 6:56 PM EST up reply actions

“cliques”

by Jamison1 on Dec 7, 2009 12:14 AM EST reply actions

No deep detective work needed

Sometimes I think were over thinking all these thing about the team. Were not an upper level NBA team. Even if our roster had been healthy and playing together all year we “might” be a five or six seed in the east. I can’t say “wait for cap room” enough. When we free money from Tinsley, Ford, Murph, and Dunleavy I’ll be very interested in what we do then. Till then the transformation of the franchise (which we all wanted then, ie. ticket sales) is still handcuffing the franchise to a certain degree. As for JOB, he may need to go if he’s lost the locker room. His contract extension (which I’m steady hearing people complain about) wasn’t exactly a vote of confidence (it was a 1 year extension). I don’t think LB will hesitate to make a change if it comes down to it. As far as losing patience with our young players, I hate to see so many fans doing it. It takes time at this level. These guys were up against 22 year and under guys just a year or two ago. Now they’re playing against full grown men, under different rules. Every now and then there are instant impact players, but for every Chris Paul there are 20 Calbert Cheaneys who’s great college game doesn’t translate to the pros (sorry Calbert). This year hurts, I’m suffering as much as anyone, but let’s see it for what it is…a team still realing from the brawl, notorious players, and injury riddled max contracts (thanks Walsh). Give the players time, give the franchise till the moneys free, then if we suck it’s all fair game. Go Pacers!!!…and I told you guys my mojo would take two or three years to turn Rush around. Cmon Rush…I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…. Lol

by Rush Rules!!! on Dec 7, 2009 12:51 AM EST reply actions

It's not about losing faith in the younger players for me

It’s that Bird has consistently gone for Low-Ceiling College Sr’s in the last few drafts. He has done his under the guise that we are somehow “Close to winning”.

We would have been much better off trying to bottom out and aquiring young “Assets” this whole time. As we sit we’ve got.

-An injury plagued Danny Granger

-A roster full of guys 9-15 on a good club.

I don’t see where there was any plan in place? I blame this whole mess on Larry Bird’s vanity.

" Tell me something Steve, How does a guy from Puerto Rico loose a ball in the Sun? "

by aaronb on Dec 7, 2009 11:35 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs