With Granger back, Pacers could go all the way

MANILA, Philippines - Imagine how Indiana would’ve fared against the Miami Heat if Danny Granger played in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals last season. Granger, 30, has been the Pacers’ main offensive option for years, averaging at least 20 points in three of his eight seasons with Indiana. But he was limited to only five games last campaign due to patellar tendinosis and sat out the entire playoffs.

What makes Granger such a valuable cog for coach Frank Vogel is his ability to deliver out of multiple positions. He can bring up the ball as a point forward reminiscent of retired cagers Scottie Pippen, Paul Pressey and Rick Barry, can post up at power forward and can spread the floor with his long-range shooting at small forward. Granger is also a leader on the floor, unflappable and inspirational.

Despite Granger’s absence, Vogel managed to push Miami to the limit in the playoffs. This was against a fully-loaded Heat squad bannered by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Pacers were the No. 3 team out of the East with a 49-32 mark behind Miami’s 66-16 and New York’s 54-28. In the first round of the playoffs, Indiana got off to a hot start, bowling over Atlanta, 107-90 and 113-98, at home. Then, the Hawks bounced back to even the count, winning twice, 90-69 and 102-91. The Pacers crushed Atlanta, 106-83, in Game 5 at home then finished off the Hawks, 81-73, in Game 6 on the road. The clincher was a strong message that Indiana’s defense was tough as nails and the Pacers could win big away from home.

Then came the battle against the Knicks. The Pacers drew first blood on the road, 102-95 to shock New York. The Knicks took Game 2, 105-79, then Indiana won two in a row at home, 82-71 and 93-82, to open a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Knicks rebounded to nail Game 5, 85-75, before Indiana closed it out, 106-99, at home. New York was held to an average of 86.8 points in Indiana’s four wins, a testament to the Pacers’ unforgiving defense. Indiana pulled through despite New York enjoying the homecourt advantage.

The Miami showdown was a thriller from start to finish. The Heat barely won the opener, 103-102, in overtime. Indiana quickly came back to score a 97-93 upset in Game 2 on the road. Miami recoiled to take Game 3, 114-96, on the road but Indiana leveled the count, 99-92, in Game 4 at home. Miami took Game 5, 90-79, at home then the Pacers won, 91-77, in Game 6 to force a winner-take-all showdown. In Game 7, the Heat wouldn’t be denied, 99-76, and advanced to the Finals where Miami took care of San Antonio in another seven-game nail-biting series.

In all, the Pacers were 8-1 at home and 3-7 on the road in the playoffs. Different players led the squad in scoring in the clinchers of the three series. George Hill and David West fired 21 each in the 81-73 win over Atlanta in Game 6 while Lance Stephenson knocked in 25 in a 106-99 decision over New York in Game 6. Roy Hibbert, a thorn on Miami’s side throughout the series, had 18 in Game 7 against the Heat.

Last season witnessed the emergence of Paul George as the Pacers’ go-to guy. He averaged a career-high 17.4 points in the regular season, 19.2 in the playoffs and captured the league’s Most Improved Player award. The 6-8 forward from Fresno State suddenly became Indiana’s version of a LeBron James. “I wasn’t prepared to step into this role of being the main guy,” said George. “So I didn’t train to be the main guy but I know what it takes (now) and I know how I need to train to get to that level.”

Writer Mike McGraw reported on George’s transformation from an average player to a superstar almost overnight. George was shut out in 29 minutes against Golden State last Dec. 1 and in the next game, committed to break out. Two days later, he erupted for 34 points and hit 14 of 25 shots in a win at Chicago. “I knew I needed to change the way I prepare for games,” said George. “I felt I was doing the job an average player would do but I want to be elite at this game, this is how I’ll prepare for every game from here on out.” His mental focus on how to approach a game has made a huge difference in his production on the floor.

In Manila, Vogel is expected to test Granger’s capacity. Granger logged the most minutes, 29, of any Pacer in Indiana’s preseason debut, an 82-76 loss to Chicago at home, last Sunday. Granger came off the bench to score six points. George and West tallied 14 apiece while Hibbert collected 11 points and nine rebounds. Derrick Rose finally suited up for the Bulls, netting 13 points in 20 minutes. A cause for Vogel’s concern is how the Bulls dominated the boards, 56-38. Another worry point is Chicago’s edge in fastbreak points, 20-12, an indication of a lack of commitment in transition defense.

Since moving to the NBA from the ABA in 1976, the Pacers have gone to the Finals only once, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers with Larry Bird as Indiana coach in 2000. Now, Bird is the team’s president of basketball operations. An Indiana native, Bird is determined to lead the Pacers back to the Finals.

“This is my home state, this is the place I wanted to do it,” said Bird who won three championships in 13 years with the Boston Celtics. “I just want to win basketball games. I want to help the Pacers get to the places they’ve never been before. I can assure you, that I’ll be the best I possibly can. This brings me full circle as a player, as a coach and as a head of basketball operations. I know it’s going to be tough. I think I know how to do most of it. Hopefully, we can get back to the NBA Finals again. That’s our goal. Right now, it’s not to win a championship but to get to the Finals and give ourselves an opportunity to win.”

In the ABA, Indiana bagged three championships in 1970, 1972 and 1973 with coach Bob Leonard. Bird hopes to duplicate the feat in the NBA with Vogel at the helm. If Indiana extended eventual champion Miami to seven games in the playoffs last year without Granger, surely the Pacers are now more formidable with the former University of New Mexico standout back in harness.