I don’t have a whole lot to say about tonight’s game. I don’t know that much about the Pacers and haven’t had time this week to do my research.I know they have a new coach, Jim O’Brien; Who’s to say if he’s better than the departed Rick Carlisle, but certainly the players seem to prefer his style over Carlisle’s dictatorship.
Their “cornerstone” pieces, Jamaal Tinsley and Jermaine O’Neal, are still there. O’Neal has always been overrated, a decent scorer and shot blocker who doesn’t make his teammates better or come through in the clutch. Tinsley has been showcasing his “potential” for the last five years… when’s it ever gonna be fully realized?
Then there’s the castoffs from Golden State, Troy Murphy and Mike Dunleavy Jr. Murphy’s killed us over the years, for some reason… though he’s been hurt (not sure if he’s playing tonight or not).
Finally there’s Danny Granger, “he who could have been Joey Graham” (or is that the other way around?). Whatever, these two were picked back to back by the Raptors - Graham at 16 - and Pacers - Granger at 17. Debate has ensued over whether or not the Raptors made the right choice.
Seriously… let’s look at the college stats. Both stayed in school four years although interestingly enough, both of them switched schools after their sophomore years.
Graham: 13 ppg, 52.7%FG, 38% 3FG, 80.9%FT, 7.1 RPG, 1.6AST, 27 MPG
Granger: 16.7 ppg, 49.6%FG, 36% 3FG, 75.3%FT, 8.8 RPG, 1.6 AST, 31 MPG
(Note: The rebounds and minutes are from their last two years… couldn’t find those stats from their first two seasons).
The differences: Granger played 33 fewer games due to knee injuries; and though he averaged 3 more points and almost 2 more rebounds per game than Joey, it took him 2.5 more shots, in 4 more minutes, per game to do so.
Today… well, Granger showed steady improvement his first two years, has stayed healthy, and is an integral part of the Pacers, averaging 18 points and six boards so far this year. And Graham, after being the model of inconsistency his first two seasons, is currently on the inactive last, contributing exactly nothing to this Raptors team.
So yeah, if they did it all over again, knowing what they know now… of course Granger would go first. Hindsight’s 20/20 of course. But at the time? How could anyone say one or the other was the better choice? Once you’re out of the lottery - heck, out of the top 6 - in the NBA draft, it’s a crapshoot. And really, I think a team’s gonna take the “healthy athletic swingman with decent stats” over the “athletic swingman with decent stats… and knee problems” almost every time.
Back to tonight’s game… well, normally I’d say Granger’s the type of guy that gives the Raps fits, but with Jamario Moon playing as well as he has, maybe we finally have a guy that can D up on athletic wing players.
Even so, at every other position, it’s pretty clear to me that the Raptors are a far superior team to this Pacers squad. That doesn’t include the bench, which… um… actually I don’t think I know anyone who’s on the Pacers bench. Let me look it up.
Oh, man… Kareem Rush? David Harrison? Marquis Daniels!? Pretty weak, Milhouse. Ike Diogu is probably their best option, but he’s hurt. Jeff Foster is another Raptor killer, and he’s been starting in place of Murphy. Raps’ll have to keep him off the glass.
And wait! There’s one more curious name on this Pacers bench! Why, it’s… can it be… it is! It’s Stephen Graham!! Joey’s twin brother! How’s that for irony. I bet Danny likes having Stephen in practice just to rub it in that though Joey got picked first, Granger’s clearly the better player…
Well, I’m officially babbling. Look, the Raptors are the better team, if they shoot the ball even halfway decent and play half as well on defense as they did against Utah, they’ll be fine.
If Bosh and Bargnani stink the joint out again, well… ah, let’s just not talk about that.
Raptors by 13.
Tags: Chris Bosh, Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers, Jamaal Tinsley, Jermaine O’Neal, Jim O’Brien, Toronto Raptors
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