Danny Granger Considered Returning to the Indiana Pacers

Danny Granger has had a rough go of it the past few years. His legs failed him, and then his days as an Indiana Pacer came to an end when Larry Bird thought Evan Turner could contribute more to a contending team. Though he made some contributions after being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, he generally looked like a guy who would never again show even flashes of his best days.

Then, after the Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs, Granger hit free agency. He wound up signing a small deal with the Miami Heat. It sounded like a sweet spot for Granger: a chance to spend the twilight of his pro days backing up the world’s greatest while also fitting into the stretch-four, corner-3-sniper role that Rashard Lewis had filled for Erik Spoelstra. LeBron bounced to Cleveland, however, and now Granger will try to keep the Heat relevant.

It almost didn’t go this way though.

Why? Because Danny Granger was considering a return to the Pacers, according to Shandel Richardson of South Florida Sun Sentinel. (via FanSided)

While the Pacers could really use almost any version of Danny Granger right now, you have to hope things work out for him in Miami. He was too good for too long to just fade away into obscurity. He deserves at least a moment or two of triumph during his last years.

Otherwise, I fear he won’t be remembered at all.

Those are the careers that always make me the saddest: The players who were stellar for a long time, but their stretch of excellence never led to any major moments. There is nothing to immortalize them in the league’s conscious after they are gone.

The worst cases are the true greats, like Mitch Richmond or Dave Bing. While true NBA heads recognize, most barely know who these players are. Neither has a single highlight that ever shows up nationally, and their plaques in Springfield will forever be strolled by quickly as fans move on to gawk at better-known stars with memorable performances.

Danny Granger is no Mitch Richmond, and he is certainly no Dave Bing. Let’s not get that twisted.

Granger falls into a category of lesser-but-similarly-plagued players like Elton Brand or Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Aint nobody telling their grandkids about Brand or Abdur-Rahim. They were both better than many players who will never be forgotten, however, and so was Granger.

These are the anti-Robert Horrys, the non-John Paxsons.

Unfortunately, Granger’s excellence came at an unfortunate time. His best years came during a strange stretch of history when the state of Indiana stopped caring about professional basketball. Fans disappeared from The Fieldhouse, leaving only a ragtag crew of mediocrity putting the ball in the net to no acclaim.

Plus Danny, doing his thing night in and night out while trying to convince national fans he was as great as he is in his own mind.

Most people of who watched all those awful games know how great Granger was on some nights. There just aren’t many of those people.

Here’s to hoping he hits a playoff game winner or otherwise puts his mark on the Heat in the next year or two. He deserves at least a signature highlight for NBA TV to weave into its promotional material.