HOOPSWORLD | Basketball News & NBA Rumors

by Curt Cavin, USA TODAY Sports

The only hesitation the Indiana Pacers still have regarding injured forward Danny Granger is when to use him in an actual game.

Granger’s left knee may appear to be fine, but he won’t play Wednesday when the NBA season resumes with the New York Knicks visiting Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Granger appeared confident Tuesday when he practiced with the first unit. He attacked the basket with his traditional full head of steam, showing the type of moves that helped make him an All-Star.

“Once he put that ball on the floor his mind is made up if he’s going to the basket or not,” Paul George, the Pacers’ latest All-Star, said Tuesday. “He has that burst that we saw last year, throughout his whole career going to the basket.

“When he puts that ball on the floor, he’s going.”

Pacers coach Frank Vogel said Granger is “very close” to returning. But tonight is not expected to be that night.

“You can tell he hasn’t played in a long time,” Vogel said. “He makes some plays that look like he’s All-Star Danny Granger; some plays he looks like he’s still getting back.

“(Returning) is about his comfort level. To come back from an injury like this you’ve got to feel comfortable with every moment you’re doing. He’s not quite there yet.”

Granger wasn’t available for comment Tuesday. He has not talked to the media since being officially sidelined the first week of November.

The Pacers could use Granger’s length tonight in defending one of the NBA’s most unique offenses.

The Knicks start with Carmelo Anthony, the league’s fifth-leading scorer at 28.6, and flow freely through fellow All-Star Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Jason Kidd.

Raymond Felton is New York’s distributor. It all adds up to a balanced group.

“They’re as tough as any team in the NBA to guard,” Vogel said.

“It’s the way they can spread the floor,” George said. “They shoot the ball real well. I think that’s something we’re going to have to lock into, limit them from their 3-point shooting.”

The Pacers have split two games with New York this season, with both teams winning on their home court. The Knicks currently … [For more on Granger won't play vs. Knicks, click here.]