The Indiana Pacers made a great run through the playoffs last season without star Danny Granger and while Lance Stephenson stepped up big time in his absence, the young player said he wouldn't mind coming off the bench again next season.
According to Pro Basketball Talk, Stephenson said in a Q&A session that he wouldn't mind coming off the bench if Granger is healthy, as he wants what's best for the team and what coach Frank Vogel wants to do. Stephenson had a good attitude about it last season and now and after adding Luis Scola and Chris Copeland, the team looks like a prime contender against the Miami Heat this season. Stephenson is just 22 and has years ahead of him and playing alongside Granger will only help.
Stephenson was very solid last season and started all 19 playoff games for the team and now that Tyler Hansbrough is gone and the other players were added, the Pacers look like a championship team in the East. The team played great against the Heat until right at the end and now Indiana has the chance to make up ground after pulling off the trade and signing some nice players. Vogel likes the squad he has and said that he will assess Granger as training camp gets closer.
The team won a top seed in the East and was very competitive all season and after signing back David West to a deal, the next big move could be to move Granger. According to Yahoo Sports, talk about moving Granger was hot around the draft and there still are a number of teams that could get involved, as the To LA Clippers, Wizards, 76ers and Spurs are reportedly interested in making a move. The deal is unlikely since Granger had knee issues last season, but if he is looking better now, teams could get in on getting a near-star for their roster.
Granger missed nearly the whole season while dealing with knee issues and the Pacers were able to win their division without him, giving Lance Stephenson a chance to shine, which he did against the Miami Heat in the playoffs and also against the Knicks. The Pacers are already dealing with tough choices ahead with Paul George and an extension and as the Lakers try to chase him, it will be even more important for the team to sign him to a nice deal and that could mean the end for Granger. Last season he averaged less than six points while playing in just five games and that is a far cry from the three straight seasons of averaging 20 points or more from 2008 to 2011, including his average of 25 during the 2008-09 season.
The team has shown it is willing to let the younger players get minutes and head coach Frank Vogel already said that Granger's starting spot is not guaranteed after he missed all of last season and Stephenson developed. George Hill is a prime piece of that puzzle and according to Pro Basketball Talk, he decided to leave the USA basketball team minicamp at the last minute due to a scheduling issue and that might hamper him joining back up going forward, something Hill said that he understood.