Indiana Pacers fans were already concerned seeing their team get off the blocks at 2-3, and unfortunately they have a little more to worry about now.

The Pacers, who are still hoping to contend for an Eastern Conference title this season, will have a much harder path to the postseason after it was announced that their leading scorer from last season, Danny Granger, is expected to miss three months after receiving an injection in his left knee to treat patellar tendinosis.

Granger, a former All-Star, averaged 18.7 points per contest last year and was the go-to man for the Pacers in clutch situations. Now they’ll have to find someone else to step in and fill his shoes. Head coach Frank Vogel is still very confident in his squad’s resilience and is trying to lift everyone’s spirits after hearing the news.

“We still have a heck of a team,” Vogel said via ESPN.com. “We’ve still got a great deal of talent, a great deal of depth. So my hopes are very high that we’ll excel without Danny.”

Granger first hurt his knee during last season’s playoffs and experienced soreness throughout offseason workouts and during the preseason. He missed all but one game of the preseason and has not appeared in any of the Pacers’ regular season contests.

Vogel has already made a couple different lineup shifts, trying to  find a winning formula without Granger. Free agent signee Gerald Green started in place of Granger for the first three regular season games and Sam Young filled in on Monday against the Spurs, scoring just three points in a 101-79 Pacers loss.

Indiana hopes that instead of replacing Granger, other starters will rise to the occasion and pick up the extra slack. So far David West, George Hill and Paul George are each averaging double figures in points, while Roy Hibbert has provided the inside presence with 7.8 rebounds per game and 3.3 blocks. For the Pacers’ sake, let’s hope it’s enough to get them though these next few months of the season.

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