Indiana Pacers: Danny Granger To Relinquish Franchise-Player Title To Paul George

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Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-USA TODAY Sports

After being out of action for almost nine months with a knee tendon injury, All-Star Danny Granger is back with the Indiana Pacers and ready to help the team make a strong push towards the NBA Playoffs.

A lot changed while Danny was recovering from his injuries. Pacers forward Paul George has taken over as the go-to guy on offense, being named to his first Eastern Conference All-Star team in the process.

Indiana currently owns a record of 36-21, which is first in the Central Division (four games ahead of the Chicago Bulls) and second in the East (six games back of the Miami Heat).

George is averaging career-highs in points (17.6), rebounds (7.9), assists (4.0), steals (1.8) and blocks (0.7). He’s also shooting a stellar 38.2% from behind-the-arc.

With Paul taking on a much larger and more important role in the team’s game plan, Danny has decided to put any ego he has to the side, and drop his status as the “franchise-player” to George.

“I think the biggest deal about it is the assumptions since I was coming back that there’d be a competition between us, when it’s actually the opposite,” Granger said. “The way he can break defenses down, the way he can create, I can just stand, catch and shoot, drive – it makes my job easier. He’s coming in at such a young age – he’s 22 now – I’m going to be 30 in a month and a half.

“I have no problem – I’ve been in the league eight years – I have no problem passing the mantle to him, to leave the team to Roy (Hibbert) and George.

“My whole team I watched get drafted. I’ve watched all of them grow. So I have no problem passing the mantle. At all.” (RealGM)