Brunt: Is ‘Born Ready’ or a healthy Granger best starter for Pacers?
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
Lance Stephenson has done everything right.
Indiana’s electric 6-foot-5 guard knows one speed, and it’s usually faster than his opponent. He’s built like a freight train. He’s got that nickname — ‘Born Ready.’ He’s that guy who knows what he wants and doesn’t know better than to go get it, even when the odds are stacked against him.
He’s a streetball legend who has reined his game in enough to become a legitimate pro. At times during the playoffs, he carried the load for a talent-rich Pacers team. Perhaps most important, many times, when a younger, lesser version of himself would have snapped and gotten a technical, the new and improved one put his team first and avoided confrontation.
The remaining bad boy on the roster has done everything to prove he is ready to walk the straight and narrow path to success. Off the court, he showed up when David West re-signed. He attended the Indiana Fever’s bowling fundraiser and has been spotted at Fever games. He’s been a model citizen, and perhaps Larry Bird’s most impressive reclamation project. The fans have embraced him, a huge hurdle to clear considering how hard it was for them to get over the Brawl and all the trouble Pacers players got into later.
I’ve been listening to the fans, and many of them say that they want Lance to start next year, even when Danny Granger returns from his knee injury.
I get it. You like Lance’s competitive spirit. You saw him as a key part of a team that reached the Eastern Conference Finals. You like his highlight-reel drives. One-on-three is even odds when Lance is the one. He’s got more personality than most of the remaining roster combined.
Here are highlights of Stephenson’s Game 6 against the Knicks, when he exploded for 25 points and 10 rebounds, courtesy of YouTube user NBA:
That’s all very nice, but here’s the reality: A healthy Granger is a better player.
I know. Things aren’t certain when you’re coming off a knee injury. But I recently spoke to Pacers coach Frank Vogel, and he said he expects Granger to be at full strength coming into camp.
Vogel said he expects Stephenson to enter camp ready to keep his starting job, yet he wants Granger to come back with the mindset that he’s once again the best player on the team. Vogel is supposed to say that because he wants Stephenson to work hard. He has to know that if Granger is close to where he was, he’s the best option.
Let’s look at what Stephenson accomplished last season. In the regular season, he averaged 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, those numbers jumped to 9.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. He was at his postseason best in the second round against the New York Knicks, when he averaged 11.7 points and 8.2 boards. And of course, he had the big game against the Knicks.
He shot 40.8 percent from the field in the postseason, fluctuating between brilliant and frustrating. He makes impossible shots at times, yet turns the ball over too much and doesn’t know his limitations. His intensity on both ends cannot be measured statistically, but it is not enough to overcome the talent gap between Stephenson and a healthy Granger. It’s not enough for a very good young player who is a bit inconsistent to overcome a former All-Star who is a few good seasons or maybe a championship away from getting his number put up in the rafters at Bankers Life.
Stephenson averaged just under 12 points per game when he was playing out of his mind as a fourth or fifth option. Granger averaged 18.7 points per game two seasons ago as the Pacers’ clear No. 1 option. He was not only Indiana’s leading scorer, he held that title by a large margin. He averaged 18.7 while Roy Hibbert and David West both averaged 12.8.
The season before that, Granger averaged 20.5; before that, 24.1 per game. Before that, an All-Star season, a 25.8-point average and the Most Improved Player award.
Remember, Stephenson shot 40.8 percent in the playoffs at his peak. Granger, in the worst shooting season of his career two seasons ago, shot 41.6 percent.
Stephenson’s awesome playoff performances came while defenses were focused on stopping other players. Danny has been the focal point of defenses for most of his career.
In 2008-09, Granger put together a magical season. He was fifth in the NBA in scoring and 15th in efficiency. He outscored Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul. He was in beast mode from beginning to end.
Highlights, from YouTube user Flight009921442:
Granger won’t be that guy now at age 30, but he’s still 6-foot-9 and still can shoot. If his knee is as good as Vogel says it is, he’s still capable of dropping between 15 and 20 a night. Plus, he has that experience of being the man in difficult situations.
Now that George has emerged offensively, Granger will likely face lesser perimeter defenders, if opponents indeed decide that George is Indiana’s top perimeter threat. They may decide Granger is still the guy, in which case, George’s efficiency will go through the roof.
In addition, Granger has always been a better-than-average defender whose length bothered folks. He’s spent a lot of time over the years guarding the opponent’s best player. He guarded LeBron James during the 2012 playoffs. He won’t have to do that anymore because of George, which will make him more effective. Everything he loses with the uncertain knee is made up by the improved team situation. And Granger was much more than a pure athlete anyway. His best assets were always his length and skill, things that don’t change with a less-than-perfect knee.
In short, Granger is simply one of the best to ever play for the Pacers. Stephenson is a 22-year-old talent who is still proving himself. Yes, Granger is older now, but he’s also been resting. Granger had played through his fair share of other nagging injuries before this season, and those should be healed now.
I’m not sure why people are ready to ship Granger out of town. I don’t know if they just ignored the team completely until last year or just are caught up in Stephenson. But, with all due respect, Stephenson’s role should be as an energizer for the second unit.
For those who want the Pacers to play Stephenson for future purposes, remember, Indiana’s focus has shifted. The team is playing for a championship now. You play your best guys. A healthy Granger helps you win now. Playing Stephenson starter minutes helps you win later, but later is far less certain.
I like Stephenson, too. He’s fun to watch and he has a better future than I thought when he first entered the league. But for now, Pacers fans would be better off if Granger is healthy and ‘Born Ready’ is ready to come off the bench.
