The Pacers are going to shut down 29-year old SF/SG Danny Granger for at least a week due to knee soreness.  Granger has played in 5 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 14.8 minutes, 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Granger is only shooting 28.6% (10 of 35) from the floor, 20% (2 for 10) and 62.5% (five of eight) from the free throw line this year, so he is looking rusty for the Pacers.  The Pacers need to shut down Granger until he’s almost 100%, because he’s too important to risk further injury by playing him too early.

UPDATE:  (3/28/2013) - The Pacers have shut down Danny Granger for the rest of the 2012-13 season as he needs left knee surgery.

The Pacers have lost 27-year old SG/SF Sam Young indefinitely due to a sprained left ankle. Young has played in 28 games (3 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 16.0 minutes, 3.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. He has only shot 38.5% from the floor, 29.5% from the three point line and 40% from the free throw line so far this year and those are pretty awful numbers. This injury will hurt the Pacers’ depth at both shooting guard and small forward.

UPDATE: (1/7/2012) - The Pacers have waived Sam Young.

The Pacers will be without 29-year old starting small forward Danny Granger indefinitely due to left knee soreness. Granger played in 62 games (all starts) for the Pacers last year and he averaged 33.3 minutes, 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game. The guy who will see the biggest bump in minutes until Granger is ready to return to action is 26-year old SG/SF Gerald Green. Green played in 31 games (2 starts) for the Nets last year and he averaged 25.2 minutes, 12.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 assist per game. The Pacers hope that Granger isn’t out of action too long as he is the best offensive player on the team.

The Pacers will be without backup guard George Hill indefinitely as he has a small chip fracture in his left ankle. He has played in 19 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 24.7 minutes, 9.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game. With Hill out of action, the Pacers need 21-year old Lance Stepenson to step up. He has played in 17 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 8.8 minutes, 2.0 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Stephenson is only shooting a paltry 34.1% from the floor so far this year, which is pathetic.

The Indiana Pacers will likely be without starting point guard Darren Collison for the rest of this series due to a severely sprained left ankle. He has played in both games so far in this series and he has averaged 24.5 minutes, 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. With Collison likely out for the rest of this series, A.J. Price will replace him in the starting lineup. Price has played in 2 games (0 starts) in this series so far and he is averaging 19.0 minutes, 10.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. The Pacers will also have to get T.J. Ford out of mothballs as he will be Price’s backup. Ford played in his first game of this series last night and he worked 9 minutes in which he had 5 points and 1 assist. Collison’s injury is a big blow to the Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers will be without 30-year old SG/SF Mike Dunleavy indefinitely due to a broken left thumb. Dunleavy has played in 54 games (44 starts) so far this year for the Pacers and he is averaging 28.6 minutes, 11.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is also shooting 40.7% from the floor so far this year and that will be missed. Brandon Rush & Paul George will likely see bumps in P.T. to help replace Dunleavy.

The Pacers will be without 25-year old shooting guard Brandon Rush for the next two weeks due to a sprained ankle. Rush has played in 37 games (13 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 29.1 minutes, 10.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. His main asset is his long range shooting as he has hit 41.7% from behind the three point line so far this year. The Pacers are hoping that 20-year old rookie Paul George will step up with Rush out of action. George has played in 21 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 15.7 minutes, 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 1.0 steal per game.

23-year old point guard A.J. Price will miss the next 4-6 months after he needed surgery to repair a fractured kneecap which he injured in a charity game. He does not have a fully guaranteed contract for the 2010-11 season but I don’t expect them to consider letting him go. He played in 56 games (2 starts) as a rookie last season for the Pacers and he averaged 15.4 minutes, 7.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. The Pacers are hoping that he will be ready to start the 2010-11 season.

The Pacers will be without center Jeff Foster for the rest of the year because he needs back surgery. Foster played in 16 games (3 starts) for the Pacers this season and he averaged 15.9 minutes, 3.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. The Pacers were trying to trade Foster to teams needing help in the paint but that all ends just like Foster’s season. The Pacers won’t miss Foster too much the rest of the way as they weren’t playing him much anyway.

The Pacers will be without starting shooting guard Danny Granger for the next 4-6 weeks due to a torn plantar fascia in his right foot. Granger has played in 17 games (all starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 36.6 minutes, 24.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocked shot per game. He is impossible to replace but Dahntay Jones and Brandon Rush will likely get more minutes with Granger out and they need them both to play well. Jones has played in 18 games (12 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 32.8 minutes, 15.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Jones will probably be the starter while Granger is out at shooting guard and he will likely do a decent job. Brandon Rush has played in 18 games (15 starts) this season for the Pacers and he is averaging 26.8 minutes, 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. The Pacers expect more out of Rush so maybe he will step up soon.