Shut It Down, Danny

by Tom Lewis on Feb 6, 2009 9:00 AM EST in News Comment 11 comments

The Pacers have lost three in a row to sub-.500 teams (well, Philly was below .500 until they beat the Pacers), so regardless of what the math says, talking about the playoffs is embarrassing.

Any discussion about the Pacers today should center around what to do with Danny Granger and his lingering knee problems. Jeff Rabjohns paints a painful picture in his Pacers Insider post and the reports (here and here) from last night's game.

Granger is doing his best to play through the pain to help the Pacers do all they can to win games. But since they aren't actually winning games and the knee isn't improving, what's the point? At least it sounds like Granger may now realize he can help more by taking some time to let the knee heal. Rabjohns inquired about his thoughts on shutting it down.

"Maybe man, but I just don't like that idea," he said. "It might be the best idea, but like I said, we need these games. We're losing. I just can't take this time off, I don't think."

Yes you can, Danny. Take the time and get it right. If the knee issue is truly a bone bruise with no structural implications then a concerted effort to let it heal shouldn't take too long. If that doesn't do it, then maybe something else is wrong which would be nice to know before it gets any worse. Trying to manage the pain and playing until you can't jump every night, seems completely counter-productive for a 19-31 team. Shut it down.

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sad

but true. Boy this team is gonna be tough to watch without him. I still want him to play in the All-Star game though, you know he wants it real bad, and he deserves it.

by captain flitzy on Feb 6, 2009 10:29 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I unfortunately have to agree

After last night’s loss, I knew that with Danny in this kind of shape, we have no chance of making the playoffs. He clearly wasn’t physically able to help the team last night to the level the Pacers need him in order to win these types of games.

Clark Kellogg showed considerable concern when talking about Danny’s knees last night. If there’s any single person that I trust when it comes to knee problems, it’s Clark. That’s history we absolutely cannot repeat.

I’d like Danny to be able to compete in All-Star Weekend, but he’s got nothing to gain from going all out for this year’s team anymore.

by goodlucksaturday on Feb 6, 2009 11:20 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sit him

Though it would kill my fantasy team, the Pacers are more important. We should sit him until the All Star break, let him play in that game and do the 3 pt contest, and then reevalutate him then. I know that’s only one week, but its a start.

As for trades, I expect the Pacers to be major players at the deadline. We have everything a potential trade mate needs: Decent wing guys with or without expiring contracts (moving Daniels makes especially good sense), Decent post guys with or without expiring contracts, a probable lottery pick, tons of expiring contracts regardless of position, and we could even throw in a mustache grooming kit. It really all hinges on what is available and which direction Larry wants to go. Do we package our expiring contracts to make a run at Amare? Or do we do what it takes to get more expiring contracts and draft picks? I’m all for picks, but the cap room is sort of irrelevant because big name guys never sign in Indy anyway (unless we massively overpay for them).

by TheHawk5 on Feb 6, 2009 11:28 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Sitting Danny

also improves the current value of the Pacers 09 draft pick.

Indy Cornrows

by Tom Lewis on Feb 6, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I hate thinking that way, but it’s really seeming that is the direction we are gonna have to look. I hate to say we should this, or shoulda that, but God it really does not feel like the Pacers of 08-09 are 19-31, they feel like a .500 team if not better.

by captain flitzy on Feb 6, 2009 2:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Spurs would be nothing if David Robinson hadn't gotten hurt...

Just saying…

by SethGrandpa on Feb 6, 2009 12:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Finally,

people are starting to come around to what I’ve been saying for a month. This team needs a top pick in the worst way. The playoffs are a pipe dream. They have been for a long time. I know they are worried about ticket sales but lets be honest in this economy the sales wouldn’t be that much better even with a winning team. The Simons should be smart enough to realize this. In fact the best thing they could do at this point is cut ticket prices more and try to get more families out that wouldn’t be able to afford a game under normal circumstances. No one should blame them for running out some young guys and trying to get them some experience.

by ThirtyOne on Feb 6, 2009 1:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Dude I've been on this bandwagon since before the season...

I know that’s awful in a way, but what was really anybody’s realistic best case for this year? It couldn’t have been much above make the playoffs as a low seed and get bounced by a big dog (Clev., Bos., Orl.). I’d rather have the Pacers suck for one year and have a future than continue to toll along in the 7-8 seed range.

by SethGrandpa on Feb 6, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The only reason...

I really think about playing for next year is because of Danny’s knees. If he were healthy, and we were still 19-31, I would say play your hearts out and try to make the playoffs. But now it really seems like that would be just a waste anyways. Right now Bird man should be actively shopping everyone and anyone (RASHO) to championship contenders for young pieces to place along side Danny. I don’t know why, I have said it before and I’ll say it again, I can see Danny and Amare being a GREAT 1-2 punch, young explosive and perfect for JOB (assuming he still has a J-O-B).

Dunleavy and Troy. Does he have any value at all on the open market? I know they have some brutal contracts (not sure of the numbers), but I would love to get one or both off of our hands by next year.

The other thing that is eating at me too is knowing that yesterday Jerryd Bayless, who plays on a terribly deep, playoff-caliber Portland team, was picked up by ME in my fantasy league. And Brandon Rush, on a not so deep out-of-it team, is still available. It looked for a minute like the right move may have been made, and i am pleased with having Jarret Jack, but Bayless is making Larry look pretty dumb, and Pritchard look pretty dam smart. I would love him playing 25-30 mins a game right now for Indy, instead Rush wears a suit once every few games. He would be an ANIMAL if he was in a teams roation right now.

by captain flitzy on Feb 6, 2009 2:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Larry needs to come in and tell granger to shut it down

it just isn’t worth any sort of risk for the future. And although we are talking trying to make the playoffs… what we are truly talking is maybe getting the chance to get beat down by boston, cleveland, or orlando. Is that really worth the chance (no matter how small) of hurting our star for the future.

Shut danny down. Play hibbert. Play McRoberts. Play Rush. I don’t care if baston can hustle… he isn’t going to be the future of this team.

by dbcb on Feb 6, 2009 6:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs