Indiana Pacers May Keep Danny Granger on Bench

Moving forward, the Pacers need to keep in eye on Lance Stephenson (hip), David West (back) and George Hill (groin). They’ve also got to decide what to do with Granger (knee) upon his return.

Per Curt Cavin of indystar.com, that decision will eventually include whether Indiana will ever put Granger back in the starting lineup:

Granger is the one Vogel was most interested in talking about. The seventh-year veteran hasn’t played since March 3 and has missed all but five games this season while nursing knee soreness.

Granger looked good in the part of practice visible to the media. Vogel didn’t sound like he expects Granger to play Wednesday in Houston, but he could. The Pacers are in Dallas on Thursday, Phoenix on Saturday and Los Angeles to play the Clippers on Monday.

Vogel can see Granger in any number of roles down the stretch.

“If he comes back in the next two weeks (and) is our best scorer, you’ve got to put him back in the starting lineup probably,” he said. “Or, we use him as a bench scorer.

“We’ll approach it on a week-by-week basis.”

Granger has played in just five games this season, all of which have seen him come off the bench. In those contests he averaged 5.4 points on 28.6 percent shooting, and clearly still had a long way to go on both ends of the floor.

Though bringing Granger off the pine to begin his return isn’t noteworthy, leaving him there if he becomes a key contributor would be. Frank Vogel admits that if he returns and re-assumes his role as the team’s leading scorer, he’d obviously put him back in the starting five. But what if he doesn’t?

I’m not even talking about for the interim or if Granger plays incredibly poorly. What if he comes back, emerges as a valuable scorer off the bench and Indiana decides to keep him there?

For now, Granger (provided he’s healthy) would provide a lethal weapon in the second-unit. Starting-caliber wings have a tough time defending him and his infinite range as it is. Perennial bench players would be beyond lost.

 
Leaving Granger on the bench does present some issues heading into the offseason, though. The Pacers have managed to contend for second place in the Eastern Conference without him, and if he remains on the bench through the playoffs, more rumors of his departure will undoubtedly surface.

Not to call the Pacers cheap, but they’re not the type of faction who pays $13 or $14 million to a guy to come off the bench. And as a former All-Star who’s on the cusp of 30, Granger might not be so receptive to such a role either.

I’ve argued before that Indiana needs Granger, that he can return to the starting lineup and make an enormous impact. I still believe that—but he has to be healthy.

Even then, though, no one’s to say the Pacers disrupt their current chemistry by allowing him to start. At this crucial juncture of the season, the forward may have to come to grips with playing as a member of the second unit.

Of course, all this hinges on Granger actually returning and making a recovery. There’s no guarantees there either.

Once (if?) he does, the situation in Indiana is bound to get a lot more interesting.