7. Danny Granger, 2005-2014
Pacers scoring: 17.6 ppg, FG: 43.5%, 3P: 38.2%, FT: 84.9%
There could be an argument made that Danny Granger possessed the most perfectly formed jump-shot in franchise history, although Rick Mount would probably like to have a word about that.
Regardless, Granger’s shot was a thing of beauty, and it was very accurate.
Twice he shot 40 percent from three in a single season, and he authored one of the better four-season stretches in franchise history (22.5 ppg from 2007-11, including one All-Star appearance).
Granger was the Pacers leading scorer for five straight season, accounting for 21 percent of the team’s scoring. His 24.5 percent mark in 2009 was the sixth highest in franchise history. Granger’s 9,571 career points is the sixth-most.
Danny Granger was cursed with unfortunate timing. In his 8.5 years with the Pacers, Granger missed more playoffs than he made. While actually playing (uninjured) the furthest he advanced was the Semi-Finals, then he was hurt the entire 2013 run to the Conference Finals, before being traded before the 2014 run.
Granger was a placeholder maintaining the franchise through disfunction and unpopularity. But maintain he did.
On the court, and uninjured, Granger was similar to Andre Iguodala. Granger was strong on offense and defense. But his body could not physically keep up as he aged, and Granger aged quickly, he was out of the NBA at age 31. But though his peak was brief, his jump shot was pure, maybe the purest of them all.