Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger had a green light for four seasons.
He could take almost any shot at any time because former coach Jim O'Brien catered to him. The Pacers needed Granger to score to have a chance to win.
The current Pacers still need Granger's scoring, but not as much as before; they have other players capable of producing 20-point games.
Granger is still adjusting to what is required. He is learning he no longer needs to force bad shots, which tend to disrupt the offense.
Granger, who missed Monday's loss at Philadelphia due to food poisoning, has seen his numbers fall dramatically this season. He is on pace for the worst shooting season of his seven-year career.
"I haven't found my shot yet," he said. "I'm a slow starter. I've always found it in the past, sooner than later. Right now I'm not getting the shots I want, and I'm not taking the ones in the right situation, so I'm trying to find a balance in the offense, basically.
"I think once I get settled in my role, what I can do night in and night out, I'll be more efficient."
Granger leads the Pacers in scoring (14.9), but he's shooting only 30.7 percent, last in the league among qualified players in that category. He has attempted 25 more shots than any of his teammates, despite playing one fewer game.
"Danny's not shooting it well," Pacers President Larry Bird said. "I don't think he had a good training camp at all. He's not in rhythm, but there are other things that can be done out there. You can rebound, you can defend, and that'll get you going in the flow more. Some nights your shot isn't going to go, so there are other things you have to do."
Granger, who shot 42.5 percent from the field last season, has a history of letting his offensive performance dictate his all-around play.
When he shoots well, he tends to play well. When his shot has been off, his overall game has suffered.
The 6-8 Granger is averaging 4.4 rebounds (fifth on the team) and 1.6 assists. He leads the team with 2.0 steals a game.
The Pacers hope the days of Granger having to shoulder the scoring load are behind him since David West, George Hill, Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough can lead them in scoring on any given night. The Pacers have seven players currently scoring in double figures.
"I don't have to score 25 points anymore," Granger said. "We have a lot of people that can contribute on the offensive end."
One of the keys to the Pacers having a successful season is ball movement. They don't want Granger holding onto the ball on one side of the court while everyone else stands on the perimeter watching.
"(Coach) Frank (Vogel) preaches we're a passing team," Granger said.
"A lot of times we pass and pass and I'm usually not the person open because teams aren't leaving me. So a lot of times it leaves me not getting a shot. Then on the flip side, sometimes when I haven't had a shot in a while, I take a bad one because I haven't had one."
Granger's shooting problems are less glaring since the Pacers are 6-3.
"This team is about ball movement, defense and crashing the boards," Bird said. "If they don't do that, they're not going to have success."
There's a good chance Granger will lead the Pacers in scoring for the fifth straight season. The difference, though, is that he doesn't have to average almost 16 shot attempts a game, as he did last season.
"The difference between Danny in the last three games opposed to the first four games in trying to share the ball and make the extra pass has been dramatic," Vogel said.
Call Star reporter Mike Wells at (317) 444-6053.
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