Coming back from a major knee injury hasn't gone too smoothly for Indiana Pacers small forward Danny Granger, who continues to deal with soreness in his left knee, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
Danny Granger still dealing with knee soreness
Pacers forward Danny Granger may be back on the court, but his knee soreness hasn’t gone away yet.
USA TODAY Sports
After missing the Pacers' first 55 games with the knee issue, Granger still isn't entirely back to the playing condition that fans are accustomed to seeing. In the Pacers' win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night, Granger played just eight minutes, and that was coming off a 10-minute effort against the Toronto Raptors two days prior.
Getting on the court has been one issue for the 29-year-old, but his performance once there hasn’t done much to alleviate concerns. In five games this season, Granger is averaging just 5.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 14.8 minutes per game, shooting 29 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
For a player that averaged over 18 points per game just a year ago -- and peaked with a scoring average of 25.8 points in 2009 -- the numbers represent a major decline.
Just days ago, Granger said that he’s trying to stop thinking so much on the court, as Tom Lewis of Indy Cornrows, SB Nation’s Pacers blog, writes. Having to constantly deal with a sore knee probably doesn’t help his focus on the court, either.
Indiana continues to depend on Paul George and Lance Stephenson on the wings, something that has worked especially well on the defensive end this season. However, there's little doubt that the Pacers could use the offensive punch a healthy Granger is capable of providing.
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