Pacers Pregame: Change to 2nd quarter lineups
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Assistant Editor
INDIANAPOLIS – Pacers coach Frank Vogel contemplated changes to his personnel usage to try and fix the dead spots Indiana has been having in second quarters. The team has been outscored by an average of eight points in the second quarter this season.
“We’ll keep an eye on it,” Vogel said. “We can either change the rotation or change how you’re using the rotation, what plays you’re calling or what not. It’ll be similar to what we’ve been using. We’ll take it with what we learn.”
Vogel said he will probably limit the amount of time he uses a grouping of Lance Stephenson and four bench players together. He also said he will remove David West sooner in the first quarter so that he is ready to come back and aid the lineups early in the second.
Often, Vogel plays Paul George and Roy Hibbert for the entire first quarter and rests them for a long stretch early in the second. He did not mention changing up that pattern.
A couple other notes from the pregame:
* The hope is that Danny Granger will return to full practices next week. The Pacers host Memphis on Monday and then are off until Friday when they host Milwaukee. “I’m not sure how we’re going to work the practice schedule, we’re hoping to have him,” Vogel said.
Could Granger play on Friday if everything goes well?
“I have no idea, other than to say we hope he practices next week,” Vogel said.
* Tyler Hansbrough returns to Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the first time, where he was a fan favorite for four seasons after being drafted by Larry Bird with the No. 13 pick in 2009.
“It’s really weird to see him in another uniform,” Vogel said. “He changes the game. We’ve got to keep him off the glass. We’ve got to make sure he’s not disrupting things with his defensive energy. It’s having an understanding of the things he does well and making sure we eliminate him.”
Could “Psycho T” be even crazier than usual against the team that let him go?
“I don’t think it’s possible for him to play harder in this game than he does every single night,” Vogel said. “From that standpoint, it’ll be another game. I’m sure he wants to win a little bit more. But the guy goes 100 and a million percent every time he’s out there.”
