Granger out three weeks with calf injury.

By Jon R. LaFollette (@JonFilet)

Pacers forward Danny Granger is likely to miss the first three weeks of the regular season to nurse a left calf strain he suffered during an Oct. 16 preseason game against Dallas.

“The length of time is a precautionary measure as the team wants to ensure Granger is physically ready to play,” the Pacers said in a statement released earlier today.

Granger and the team maintain the injury is unrelated to the knee issues which kept the nine-year veteran sidelined for all but five games last season.

This latest flareup, however unfortunate, shouldn’t impede the Pacers’ ability to produce on the court. Last year’s starting five of Hill-Stephenson-George-West-Hibbert was one of the NBA’s elite lineups – outscoring their opponents by a league-best 271 points.

Granger’s absence will leave season-defining questions unanswered: How will he fit into this team with his new role, and, if healthy and productive, can he help propel the Pacers past Miami in the postseason?

Granger has averaged 18 points, 5 reb. and 2 ast. for his career.