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PACERS at MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Friday, 8 p.m.FedEx Forum TV: None Radio: 1070 The Fan Injury Report presented by Ortho Indy |
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 Jim O'Brien |
Scouting Report
While enduring the absence of at least two and sometimes four key players in the last three games, the Pacers have been more then competitive. They were three points away from losing all three, dropping one in overtime the Clippers and losing by one to the Nets Tuesday night, those losses sandwiching a one-point win in Philadelphia. Though they're slowly regaining their health they aren't likely to be at full strength in Memphis. Neither T.J. Ford (back spasms) nor Troy Murphy (viral infection) practiced Wednesday. Though Marquis Daniels did return to practice after missing three games with a viral infection, he may need a game or two off the bench to get his strength back. The Grizzlies (9-19) have lost four in a row and the offense has struggled mightily, averaging 85.8 points in that stretch.
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 Marc Iavaroni |
 T.J. Ford |
Point Guard
Ford could not play the second half of Tuesday's 108-107 loss to the Nets because of lower back spasms but with two days off could be back in the starting lineup. It's been a rough couple of weeks for Ford, who missed the Golden State game with a groin strain, came back for two full then came down with the back problem. Kyle Lowry has replaced Indy's Mike Conley (8.1 points, 3.5 assists) for the Grizzlies, a short-term patch. They made a trade with Houston Tuesday, re-acquiring guard Steve Francis, who hasn't played since right knee surgery last February.
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 Kyle Lowry |
 Brandon Rush |
Shooting Guard
Though he has struggled with his shot at times, (.380 in the last five), Brandon Rush has done plenty of other things well. In those five games, he's averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.67 steals while shooting .387 from the 3-point line. He's coming off a career-high 22 against the Nets and is looking very much like a candidate for the starting rotation. O.J. Mayo leads all rookies in scoring (19.9) and is shooting .414 from the 3-point line, an area thought to be a weakness. He's also just the fifth rookie in NBA history (and first in 28 years) to score at least 30 points in back-to-back games. The others: Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King, Darrell Griffith and Sidney Wicks.
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 O.J. Mayo |
 Danny Granger |
Small Forward
Granger gave a heroic effort Tuesday, playing 33 minutes, scoring 26 points and hitting the go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds left while battling the effects of the viral infection that kept him out the previous two games and sapped his energy. He has averaged 30.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists in the last five. Rudy Gay (20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds) is also a consistently productive scorer although he has not shot well from the arc (.299).
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 Rudy Gay |
 Jeff Foster |
Power Forward
Jeff Foster is one of those guys ready for whatever role awaits. With Murphy out, he has moved into the lineup without a hitch, pulling double-figures rebounds in the last five games (averaging 11.4). In nine starts this season he has averaged 9.6 points and 8.6 rebounds and the team has gone 5-4. Darrell Arthur (5.8 points, 4.6 rebounds), a teammate of Rush's at Kansas, is like Foster an active and athletic power forward, albeit slightly undersized for the position.
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 Darrell Arthur |
 Roy Hibbert |
Center
Though the team has played well with Roy Hibbert in the starting lineup, individually he has struggled. Aside from his one big game (16 points, eight rebounds, five blocks against the Clippers) he has averaged just 5.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in the other four. Darko Milicic (6.0 points, 4.9 rebounds) seems to be taking a step back this season after showing promise in his first season with the Grizzlies. Memphis can start any combination of Arthur, Milicic and Marc Gasol in the two frontcourt spots.
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 Darko Milicic |
 Josh McRoberts |
Bench
In the last two games, Josh McRoberts has produced career highs in points (10), rebounds (eight), assists (five) and blocked shots (four), demonstrating that he stayed ready while riding the pine and took advantage of the opportunity to play when others fell ill. He's been a big boost for a second unit that has gotten steady production from Jarrett Jack (23 assists in the last three games) and Rasho Nesterovic (11.4 points, .643 shooting in the last five). Travis Diener has more than double his season point total in the last two games, totaling 23 in 33 minutes while making 6-of-9 from the 3-point line. Memphis leans on Conley, Gasol and Hakim Warrick.
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 Mike Conley |
