Danny Granger Hopeful to Return vs. Bobcats
So far this season, the East-leading Indiana Pacers (19-3) have fared just fine without star forward Danny Granger, but it appears they may be getting even better after adding his scoring ability to their stout, defensive-minded lineup this week.
Granger – who has only played five games over the past two seasons – was originally planning to come off the bench in Tuesday’s game against the Miami Heat, but ultimately sat out and is now eyeing Friday’s bout with the Charlotte Bobcats to make his long-awaited return.
“There’s a very good chance, hopefully on Friday,” Granger said on Tuesday, according to ESPN.com. “I’m conditioning my legs, getting my wind. The knee is not an issue at all. The calf is pretty good now.”
After missing nearly all of last season with a knee injury, Granger has spent the first 22 games of 2013 dealing with a calf injury that he sustained in training camp. He was initially slated to miss only three weeks, but has missed six weeks of action with the injury so far. Considering he suffered numerous setbacks while being treated for patella tendinitis last season, the team is not committing to any sort of timetable regarding his return.
Fortunately, the Pacers have played exceptionally well without Granger and currently own the best record in the NBA. However, while they’ve thrived behind the league’s top-ranked defense, they’ve struggled at times on the offensive end, scoring just 97.9 points per game (22nd in NBA). By adding Granger – who is a career 18-point-per-game scorer – back into the mix, the Pacers should improve their offensive output – which is a pretty scary notion for upcoming Pacers opponents, such as the Bobcats.
While we don’t have a line on Friday’s Charlotte-Indiana game yet, we can certainly expect the Cats to be a big underdog on the road against the Pacers – and an ever bigger one if Granger rejoins his team. Keep an eye on our NBA odds page before tip-off for an updated line, but look for the Pacers to defeat the Bobcats with or without Granger.
