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.

GRADE FOR DANNY GRANGER: D 

Playing in his first game all season for the Indiana Pacers, the returning Danny Granger played 18 minutes off the bench, shooting 1-10 from the field and finishing with just two points, two rebounds, one assist, one blocked shot and one turnover. He missed his first eight shots before hitting a 15-foot jumper in the fourth quarter, which his teammates went ecstatic over.

How can you not love the team’s reaction to @dgranger33‘s 1st bucket?Says a lot about why Pacers have been so, well, good.

— Conrad Brunner (@1070Bruno) February 24, 2013

Granger checked into the game for Lance Stephenson with three minutes left in the first quarter.

The only reason I’m not giving Danny an “F” is because this was his first game back from a serious knee injury. I’ll be nice and cut him a bit of slack.

It’s just good to see him back in action.

It wasn’t exactly the most inspiring of returns, but it didn’t need to be. Indiana had beaten Detroit the night prior by a score of 114-82, so there was really no need for any historic performance from Danny in this second game of a home-and-home with the Pistons.

He’ll come around eventually. Getting some minutes against a bottom-feeder like the Pistons is a great way to get back in the swing of things and see where your shot is.

Unfortunately for Danny, it was nowhere to be seen.

The game was never really close anyways, as the Indiana Pacers put a whooping on the Detroit Pistons for the second time in as many nights, by a final score of 90-72.

Detroit missed 16 of their first 17 shots, finishing the first quarter with just nine points.

George Hill led all scorers with 17 points and three rebounds. Despite shooting 1 for 7 from three-point range and 5 for 14 from the field, All-Star forward Paul George was still within reaching distance of a triple-double, finishing with 12 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists.

The win is nice, as Indiana has now won four games in a row, but the return of Danny Granger to the rotation means so much more to his teammates and the fans who support the franchise.

While tonight was a rough start, things will only get better from here.

Chris Walder is the Editor of Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports