MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Forward Danny Granger's numbers said it all. Granger, who averaged 25.8 points a game, became the first player in league history to increase his scoring average by at least five points in three straight seasons. He had 36 games of at least 25 points.
MOST DISAPPOINTING PLAYER: Point guard T.J. Ford finished third on the team in scoring, but he struggled grasping coach Jim O'Brien's pass-oriented system. Ford's constant pounding of the ball and forced shots led to him being demoted to backup point guard in late March. FREE AGENT FOCUS: The Pacers have five free agents. Forward Maceo Baston, forward Josh McRoberts, center Rasho Nesterovic and guard Stephen Graham are all unrestricted free agents. Guard Jarrett Jack is restricted. Jack is the most likely to get re-signed. He said wants to remain a Pacer and team president Larry Bird said earlier in the season that their intentions are to re-sign him.
PLAYER NEWS:
--F Danny Granger got a $60 million contract extension and made his first All-Star team last season. Now he's taking the first step in possibly playing on the 2012 Olympic team. Granger has been invited to take part in the USA Basketball training camp in Las Vegas in July. Granger, who was fifth in the league in scoring last season, said he'll likely accept the invitation. "I think that's the level everyone strives to get to," Granger told the Associated Press by telephone from Italy. "You want to win an NBA championship, of course, but I think to play in the Olympics is something really special. It comes around just once every four years, and it's a special opportunity."
--G-F Marquis Daniels' situation has the Pacers in a tough position. They have a $7.5 million team option on him for next season, but that's a lot of money to spend on a player who will likely come off the bench. What Daniels has in his favor, however, is that the Pacers are thin at that position because of Mike Dunleavy's knee injury. Nobody knows when and how effective Dunleavy will be when he returns to the lineup. The uncertainty might force the Pacers to pick up Daniels' option. Danny Granger and Brandon Rush are the only two swingmen under contract for next season.
--G Jarrett Jack will get a qualifying offer from the Pacers, making him a restricted free agent this summer. The team will be able to match any offer made to him. Jack replaced G T.J. Ford in the starting lineup in late March and ended the season averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 assists. The Pacers will likely only go so far to match an offer made to Jack because he's not a starting point guard on a playoff team -- he's a solid backup at either guard spot on a playoff team. It wouldn't be surprising if Ford is back in the starting lineup even if Jack returns to the team.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Mike Dunleavy (knee) is expected to be out until at least January 2010 after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur from his right patellar tendon and then having the tendon repaired in March in Colorado.
