Hooped Up

Pacers try teamwork in Granger’s absence
The Indiana Pacers knew they couldn’t have one player try to make up for the absence of Danny Granger. So instead, they used a team effort to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 107-96 to end a four-game losing streak Tuesday night at Conseco Fieldhouse.

“Danny is our leading scorer and our go-to guy, and definitely we look at him to do some scoring,” swingman Dahntay Jones said. “But it wasn’t on one person’s shoulders. It was a team effort, and the ball didn’t stop (moving), and we didn’t look for one guy to make plays for us. We made plays for everybody. That’s a team effort.”

Granger missed the game while serving a league-mandated one-game suspension for an altercation in Phoenix on Saturday.
Indy Star

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According to a NBA players poll, new acquired McGrady of the New York Knicks was ranked as the most overrated player in the league receiving 9% of the 173 votes cast, beating Indian Pacers swingman Danny Granger by 4%.

New teammate Al Harrington of also received one vote. Shaquille O’Neal, David West and suspended Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas received 3% of the dubious distinction and 2010 All-Stars LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Dwyane Wade and Gerald Wallace all received more than one vote each.

It’s a good thing that overrated list are usually overrated. See who made the top 5 of this list sponsored by Haterade, quenching the thirst of mediocre talent since the inception of free agency.

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Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger will be out of the lineup at least four to six weeks with a torn right plantar fascia, the team announced on Tuesday.

Granger sat out practice on Monday, then left Conseco Fieldhouse to get an MRI, which confirmed the injury on Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8 forward, who has been slowed by a heel bruise since the preseason, aggravated the foot in the Pacers’ 88-72 setback at the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

In 17 games this season, Granger is averaging a team-best 24.4 points to go along with 6.1 rebounds per game.

TSN

To quote, English writer and critic Edith Sitwell. “Eccentricity is not, as dull people would have us believe, a form of madness. It is often a kind of innocent pride, and the man of genius and the aristocrat are frequently regarded as eccentrics because genius and aristocrat are entirely unafraid of and uninfluenced by the opinions and vagaries of the crowd.”

With that quote, I give you the All-Eccentric team. To make this squad you had to be on a NBA roster in the past year and be considered borderline crazy to the untrained eye.

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Another van glorious season of NBA basketball is about to begin and Hooped Up does a quick and dirty preview of all 30 clubs.

The Indiana Pacers have been steadily below average for years, but with Danny Granger emerging as a star in the league, things are finally heading in the right direction.

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A new season is fast approaching and you need you know, nay — you demand to know! Who’s the best at each position in the league on a nightly basis in the ‘09-10 NBA season. So with your mind and excel sheet ablaze trying to figure out that riddle to no end. I’ve decided to take one for the team, by putting together a  list of the Top 5 players in the league by position heading into the ‘09-10 NBA season.

Up next the small forward spot, if you’re expecting to see Danilo Gallinari in this group, please visit my Bizzarro world site.

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Danny Granger told a storybook tale of how he learned he’d been selected the NBA’s Most Improved Player.

The Indiana Pacers star offered a picturesque image of riding in a gondola in Venice, Italy, with one hand in the water and wind blowing through his hair.

Much of that was indeed a story — he was in Venice, but in his hotel room instead of a boat when he heard the news. Upon coming clean at a news conference on Tuesday, those in the room broke into laughter.

“I can honestly say it really did come as a surprise,” he said. “I really had it out of my mind for a while. I was on vacation, enjoying Italy, and all of a sudden, I’m winning the award.”

He edged New Jersey Nets guard Devin Harris 364-339 in voting from a panel of 121 journalists. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant was third with 83 points.

Press Release

According to the Indy Star, All-Star Danny Granger will be out of the Pacers line up for three weeks with a partial tendon tear in the sole of his right foot. The injury happened Wednesday night in a  94 – 103 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats in the second quarter.

Granger now joins Mike Dunleavy on the sidelines, who could miss the rest of the season due to his ongoing right knee problems.

The NBA 08-09 All-Star rosters have been officially revealed and I can’t help to notice that a certain Canadian is missing from the All-Star proceedings and I say BOOO NBA, BOOO!!! I am however liking the Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Bosh selection though.

Either way, the All-Star game should be a video game style affair none the less as per usual. 

Below are your East and West reserves.

West Conference Reserves
Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, David West, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Chauncey Billups and Brandon Roy.

Eastern Conference Reserves 
Jameer Nelson ,Rashard Lewis, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, Devin Harris and Danny Granger.

Via Yahoo!