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 out-rebounded the Bulls 42-34 last night and it helped them get a huge home win.  David West led the way for the Pacers last night with 31 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.  George Hill (21 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocked shots) and Roy Hibbert (18 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 3 blocked shots) also were rock solid for the Pacers last night.  Paul George only shot 4 of 14 from the floor, but he still finished up with 10 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals.  The Pacers improve to 38-22 on the year.

The Pacers out-rebounded the Raptors 43-30 last night in Toronto and it helped them get a huge win.  Paul George led the way for the Pacers last night with 22 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.  Roy Hibbert (18 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocked shots) and David West (15 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) also had solid games for the Pacers.  The Pacers are now 37-22 on the year.

The Pacers just didn’t play well enough to beat the Clippers last night, plain and simple.  David West (22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) and Paul George (20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot) led the way for the Pacers last night.  Lance Stephenson also had a rock solid game with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.  George Hill (12 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist on 4 of 12 shooting) and Danny Granger (12 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 19 minutes off the bench) also pitched in last night.  The Pacers are now 36-22 on the year.

The Indiana Pacers aren’t getting much production out of their rookies so far this year.  23-year old shooting guard Orlando Johnson is starting to get more P.T. off the bench for the Pacers lately.  He has played in 27 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 10.5 minutes, 3.5 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game.  He is shooting an amazing 54.5% from three point range (18 of 33) so far this year.  25-year old point guard Ben Hansbrough wouldn’t even be on the roster still if he wasn’t Tyler’s brother.  He has played in 21 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 7.3 minutes, 1.9 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Hansbrough is only shooting 32.4% from the floor, 31.6% from three point range and 66.7% from the free throw line so far this year.  24-year old center Miles Plumlee has been in the D-League most of this year.  Plumlee has played in 15 games (12 starts) for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants so far this year and he is averaging 30.5 minutes, 11.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.9 blocked shots per game.  He has also played in 8 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 3.6 minutes, 0.8 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.  The Pacers are a team competing for an NBA Championship in 2012-13, so I don’t see the rookies getting more P.T. any time soon.

The Pacers out ran the Warriors last night for a nice home win.  David West led the way for the Pacers last night with 28 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals.  George Hill (23 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals) and Paul George (21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot) also had outstanding games for the Pacers last night.  Roy Hibbert pitched in with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 5 blocked shots.  The Pacers are now 36-21 on the season.

For the second night in a row (this time in Detroit), the Pacers ripped the Pistons.  They outrebounded the Pistons 48-39 and they held them to a putrid 33.8% shooting from the floor!  George Hill (17 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal) and David West (16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) led the way for the Pacers tonight.  Paul George (12 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals), Roy Hibbert (10 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 blocked shots) and D.J. Augustin (10 points and 2 rebounds in 18 minutes) also pitched in for the Pacers.  The Pacers improve to 35-21 on the season.

The Pacers demolished the Pistons tonight.  They were up 90-52 after the first three quarters before they called off the dogs.  The Pacers shot 56.2% from the floor tonight and they held the Pistons to a paltry 35.4% shooting from the floor, which helps explain the scoreboard.  David West (18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) and George Hill (15 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) led the way for the Pacers before resting in the 4th quarter.  Rookie Orlando Johnson had one of his best games of the season for the Pacers with 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in 19 minutes off the bench.  Paul George (12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot), Roy Hibbert (10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot) and Lance Stephenson (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 blocked shot) also pitched in for the Pacers.  The Pacers are now 34-21 on the year.

The Indiana Pacers need more out of 27-year old power forward Tyler Hansbrough.  He has played in 54 games (1 start) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 15.9 minutes, 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 0.4 assists per game.  He has now played in 219 games (31 starts) in his first four years with the Pacers and he is averaging 19.9 minutes, 9.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.  Hansbrough’s P.T. has been cut a little bit this year and that is because David West is playing more and Ian Mahinmi has taken away some minutes from him.  It’s up to Hansbrough to earn those minutes back by playing better the rest of the way in 2012-13.

The Pacers really hope that 26-year old center Roy Hibbert steps up.  He has all of the tools to be a dominant center in the NBA, but he doesn’t have the heart.  Hibbert got paid over the summer and now he’s being playing like he’s in a trance.  Hibbert has played in 53 games (all starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 28.6 minutes, 10.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 2.7 blocked shots per game.  Hibbert has the potential to be one of the best centers in the entire NBA, but he isn’t there quite yet.  26-year old Ian Mahinmi has played in 53 games (0 starts) for the Pacers so far this year and he is averaging 16.7 minutes, 5.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 0.3 assists per game.   If Hibbert had Mahinmi’s heart, he would be the best center in the NBA.