Bench players could be Pacers secret weapon for Playoffs

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Danny Granger has stepped up as the Pacers top offensive threat, but when its not clicking with the starting five, the bench mob is there to pick up the pieces.

"I'd say our bench does a great job, we've got guys on the bench who could start and they get us going when we're not, they pick us up. Kudos to them.

I'm happy to see guys like Pendergraph and Lance and AJ and big Fez get some minutes and get out there and play,"said big man Roy Hibbert.

Head coach Frank Vogel knows the value of a deep team. "We don't have a team of the mega-stars. We have very good players at every position, and alot of them."

And with that comes opportunity. Lou Amundson has created a following, George Hill has stepped in with Darren Collison down and not missed a beat.

Leandro Barbosa’s addition has been a shot in the arm, and then there's Psycho-T. Tyler Hansbrough knows his role, and revels in it. Does he enjoy being part of this bench mob that injects so much enthusiasm into the team?

"Yeah, definitely. With me and Lou at the power forward, center spot, we can switch and do alot of different things defensively. I think our ability to push the ball and run teams is kind of unique."

Danny Granger thinks the depth takes some of the pressure off. "We probably play ten or eleven games when our starters didn't even play the fourth quarter, and with that being said, alot of guys have had alot of opportunities."

They're taking full advantage, something that will only make them more dangerous in the postseason.

"We're more difficult to guard in some ways than teams with the megastar, so we're going to be a dangerous team in the playoffs, I'm looking forward to it," added Vogel.

The playoffs tip at the end of the month.