Constant knee problems have plagued Danny Granger from the beginning of the year. Now, it has claimed the rest of his season.
The Pacers announced Thursday that the former All-Star forward would miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo surgery to repair an injury to his left knee. Granger missed the first three months of the season after undergoing a procedure in late October to repair a case of patellar tendonosis.
Granger returned to the court for the first time in late February and he played five games. His knee problems flared up again, however, and he was forced back to the sidelines to rehab and rest. The conservative treatments did not work clearly and so the Pacers and Granger decided surgery would be the best option.
It was believed earlier this week that Granger could return on Indiana's current road trip that begins tonight in Dallas.
Granger averaged 5.4 points per game and 1.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game in his brief appearance for the Pacers this season. For sure, losing a player of Granger's caliber — a player who can create his own shot, hit 3-pointers and defend the best player on the opposing team — is a big loss for Indiana.
The Pacers though have been very successful despite Granger's absence from the rotation and lineup. Paul George became an All Star this year, filling in Granger's spot. The Pacers are fighting for the East's second seed in the Playoffs as well. Roy Hibbert and David West have also stepped up to fill that scoring void.
Not to mention, Indiana still has one of the best defenses in the league.
This is a tough loss for sure as Granger provides some stability. Indiana should be fine for the rest of this season and the Playoffs however.
Whether Granger will be able to return to his All-Star form, however, is a a much bigger question for Indiana. One that cannot be answered until he undergoes the procedure and gets through his rehabilitation.
