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:
--Forward Josh McRoberts, a restricted free agent the Pacers hope to re-sign, has added 20 pounds of muscle since the season ended. The Pacers envision McRoberts, a poor perimeter shooter, being like Denver's Chris Anderson because of his athleticism, energy and rebounding ability. McRoberts, who is heading into his fourth NBA season, averaged 3.4 points and 3.2 rebounds in 33 appearances last season.
--All-Star Danny Granger is working on more than his defense this summer. Granger, the league's fifth-leading scorer last season, is also focusing on his isolation moves. He wants his game to be similar to Boston's Paul Pierce. Granger wants to be able to break his defender down off the dribble so he can either pull up for a jump shot or take the ball all the way to the basket. Granger got most of his points last season off of catch-and-shoot situations.
--A scheduling conflict forced Granger to change the date of his annual basketball camp for kids in New Mexico to a later date. Granger had to change the date so he could participate in the USA Basketball training camp, which could lead to him playing in next year's World Championships and the 2012 Olympics, at the end of July in Las Vegas.
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 had the tendon repaired in March in Colorado. He underwent minor arthroscopic surgery on his left hip June 4.
