Name: Danny Granger Jr.
Tangibles: 6' 8", 228 lbs., 7' 1.5" wingspan, 34.0" max. vertical (measurement stats via Draft Express).
Position: G/F, Indiana Pacers
Born: April 20, 1983
Drafted: 17th Overall, 2005
Key stats: 26.5 ppg, 25.8 pper36, 46% FG%, 53% eFG% (according to Basketball-Reference.com), 22.49 PER (Hollinger, natch), 5.0 rpg, 3.5 apg
Where's He At: The High Life, that's where. Granger signed a five-year, $60-$64 million extension in November, narrowly allowing the Pacers to avoid watching him jaunt off in restricted free agency and punish them till the end of time. Now, Granger had shown flashes last year, but he wasn't expected to be anything extraordinarily brilliant this year, especially with his pockets freshly filled.
Granger, however, is apparently full of surprises.
He's been simply brilliant, the player most likely for NBA-zonks such as us to answer when someone asks "Hey, I just got league pass, who should I check out that I don't normally see?" Granger is the primary reason why the Pacers are pushing so many teams, even though they're unable to get through to a win in the end (this is for various reasons). Granger's numbers are up in points, shooting percentage, and assists. And right now he's humming along at a particularly high frequency. Since January 1, he's scored less than 30 points just twice. He's shooting 49 percent from the field this month and averaging 32 points. That's kind of a lot.
Granger is a shooter's shooter, and his offensive range is similar to that of Joe Johnson, who he compared himself to before he was drafted. He's a surprising 6-8, with the excellent length that goes along with it.
Granger is the face of the Pacers' rebuilding effort, the block to build around. He's making good on the investment the Pacers made in him, and if the Pacers can get healthy, play some defense, and get certain members of their team (read: people who aren't Danny Granger) to stop taking ill-advised game-winning attempts, they might find themselves in the playoff hunt come March.
Who Is He To Us: He's the masked man, of course. The caped crusader. We know he has a penchant for superheroes, and that he's more than capable of superheroic feats. And we know he has a flair for the dramatic.
But of course, he plays in Indiana, without a superstar beside him. He's whispered about as if he's, well ... Batman. The guy in the mask that swoops in, rocks your defense for 30-plus, and then vanishes into the night. His anonymity on a small-market team, with little previous fanfare, only makes him that much more mysterious. I've had people e-mailing me, asking me if Danny Granger was for real. As if he's some sort of imaginary character the Pacers made up to try and scare their opponents.
The only thing that's frustrating is that Granger is still learning to take over the game. He often defers to his teammates, which is admirable in some situations, but this week he's put the game-winning shot in the hands of Travis Diener and Mike Dunleavy. Naturally, both missed badly. Dunleavy is at least understandable, but he's no longer the offensive leader of this team. Granger's handle is solid enough to trust him to make a play, but he seems to be compelled to offload the ball when the double comes instead of working the perimeter screen to free himself. When he gets to that level of aggression, he's capable of brilliance. Watching him learn that has been fun. He's certainly streaky, and when he's not hitting, he tends to fade away from the ball. It's refreshing to watch a player resist forcing it, but as good as the Pacers are offensively (3rd in the NBA in scoring), they need him to be their go-to scorer, particularly against teams that actually know how to play defense (and teams that don't, like Utah). This is tempered by the fact that he does lead the Pacers in turnovers, and has a habit of dribbling into trouble without knowing what his plan is once he gets there.
What To Watch Tonight: Ruh-roh. As much as I want to watch Granger, picking him against Detroit may not have been the best opportunity to observe his abilities. After all, he's going toe to toe with Tayshaun Prince and the Pistons, who are likely to be in a foul mood after losing to Charlotte Tuesday night. Prince has an inch on him, and has the frame to provide the lock-down defense that can force Granger into picking up his dribble, which inevitably leads to rotation, rotation, and an ill-advised shot.
However, if Granger's in one of his zones, it may not matter. Granger's range is enough to draw defenses out. Combine that with the fact that the Pistons have inexplicably gone back to smallball, and Granger may be in a position to flummox the Pistons, who are reeling a bit internally. If the Pistons somehow recognize that that is, actually, a bad approach, they should be able to slug the Pacers to death like crabs with a hammer. Marquis Daniels is still on the shelf with a groin injury and the Pacers aren't brimming with front-court depth. Granted, forcing Granger outside may not be the best plan. Go check out his hotspots chart. It's like a map of the Soviet Union, there's so much red.
But ultimately, if you want a great scorer against a great defender, you've got it Wednesday night.
Check back tomorrow to see what the night yielded in particular for Danny Granger in Under The Microscope Part II: Under the Lights.
