Donnie Walsh hopes for better future after Indiana Pacers start the season poorly – NBA News
The Indiana Pacers entered this NBA season as one of the top seeds out of the Eastern Conference, anticipated to pick up the 3rd or 4th seed in the playoffs in the absence of the Chicago Bulls due to the injury
to Derrick Rose. They played solid basketball last season, reached the Eastern Conference Semi Finals and retained the core of the team during the offseason. However, things did not go as planned for the Pacers, as they lost starting forward and the team’s
main scorer Danny Granger to a left knee injury. Granger is expected to be out for three months and in his absence, the Pacers have opened the season with a win – loss record of 5-7. Donnie Walsh, who returned this season to head the Pacers, knows that this
is not the start the team was hoping for but is willing to be patient with this team that is playing without its main scorer.
Walsh knows that the Pacers cannot cover up for the huge loss of Granger, and can not replace his numbers without making a big trade. And at the moment, there is no one on the market who can be added to the Pacers roster to cover
up for Granger.
"The guys people are talking about at the level of a Danny Granger, that's a major trade. How are you going to get those players?” said Granger.
Walsh is frustrated at the way the Pacers have some of their games so far in the season, with four of their losses coming in the final 30 seconds of regulation time. However, he says that he is being patient as the team and coach
find their way without their star player.
“You never like that, but what we have to do is focus. It's very early in the season. I knew we were going to be playing a lot of games on the road early and then we had the Danny situation, too. We're developing a playing style
we can win at. If we lose that game, I'm going to feel good about it, still, because we're going in the right direction,” added Walsh.
The Pacers have been on point as far as their defence is concerned, leading the league in field goal percentage defence at 39.9 percent. However, they are 28th in the league on the offensive department, shooting 41 percent
from the field. David West is the only player in the team who is shooting consistently, and Roy Hibbert recently overcame his offensive drought by scoring 20 points on Monday night against the Washington Wizards. However, the team needs more consistency and
contribution from the rest of the players so that the Pacers can remain in playoff conversation till the time Granger returns. Otherwise, it will be a season wasted for the Pacers.
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