Danny Granger: Why the Indiana Pacers Should Continue Building Around Him

If you were to Google “Danny Granger trade,” the rest of your afternoon could be spent perusing the countless rumors, trade scenarios, and breaking news involving the Indiana Pacers’ sixth-year forward. Trust me, I’ve done it before.

Over the past two offseasons, the chatter around moving Granger has grown substantially.  This is understandable, considering that the Pacers have missed the playoffs four out of the past five years.

To attribute this to Granger’s play, however, would quite frankly be unfair. 

Yes, Danny’s numbers have been down since his 25.8 points per game in 2008-09. Yes, it’s becoming clearer that Granger is not the perennial superstar we all thought he might be. Yes, he settles for the three too often.

Put his career in perspective, though, and you might form a different opinion of Danny’s tenure as a Pacer so far.

The measuring stick of any great Indiana Pacer is Reggie Miller. The lanky guard from California would go on to become Mr. Basketball in a state that loves basketball like no other. Reggie achieved Indiana immortality by way of his consistency, sweet stroke and clutch shooting ability. 

Now, would you believe me if I told you that Danny Granger is actually offensively outpacing the most prominent figure in Indiana Pacer history? 

During his first four seasons as a starter (‘88-’92), Miller averaged 20.98 points a game, including 489 makes at 38.5 percent shooting from deep.

Meanwhile, all Granger has done in the four seasons since 2007-08, his first full season as a starter, is score 22.5 points per game and sink 668 three-pointers at a 38.9 percent rate. 

Reggie’s career high in points per game in a season (24.6) has already been surpassed by Granger’s 25.8 from two seasons ago, which was the highest scoring average by a Pacers player since 1976-77.

With that being said, I am by no means suggesting that Danny Granger is now, or ever will be, Reggie Miller. What I am saying is that the current Indiana front office should continue adding other talent with Granger as the focal point, just as the Pacers teams of the ‘90s were built around Reggie.

Uncle Reg consistently averaged 20 points per game during his Pacer career, turning the clock back to “Miller Time” when he had to. As Granger’s career advances, expect him to emulate this role as best he can. 

With their possession of a lightning-fast point guard (Darren Collison), a young center who is not far from All-Star status (Roy Hibbert), a potential defensive stalwart (Paul George), and the guy that nobody wants to play against (Tyler Hansbrough), Indiana is primed to make the playoffs for many years to come.

With the addition of George Hill, and an estimated $20 million in cap space this summer, Pacers fans can actually see Larry Bird’s rebuilding plan coming together right before their eyes.

These aforementioned players are all young, however, so keep patient by letting this core group around Danny progress, and the wins are sure to pile up. 

The next time you feel like searching the internet for trades involving Danny Granger, instead type “Danny Granger highlights.” You’ll have a better feeling watching countless three pointers, dunks, and game winners.

Trust me, I’ve done it before.