All indications out of Indiana, or at least out of the Pacers' management's mouths, point to the Pacers being close to making the next step. They didn't do much this summer--they retained coach Jim O'Brien--and Larry Bird says they'll make a big splash next offseason. They're haven't been a lot of people voicing support of this opinion, but we'll give Larry Legend the benefit of the doubt for now. Have you heard any of this? If not, I don't blame you. Indiana has been a bit under the radar since...Stephen Jackson left town. They've done it on purpose, of course, as fallout from Malice at the Palace. But, if the veil has kept you totally incognizant of things going on with them, you may have missed the emergence of Danny Granger.
For now, the Pacers do have that legit star who could be paired with another player of similar caliber to make this a playoff bound team. That player is Danny Granger. He took the step last season from solid, almost-20-per player to bonafide scoring machine. In each season he's stepped up his per game scoring average nearly six points. The 08-09 season also saw him make his first all-star appearance and win the most improved player of the year award. He accounted for 29.6 percent of his team's offense, a staggering number which shows how much of the Pacers' burden he's had to carry. The return of Mike Dunleavy Jr. should help this season, and Free Agent X next season if that truly materializes.
