Indiana Pacers small forward Danny Granger could return to the hardwood sometime in early February, head coach Frank Vogel told Indianapolis radio station 1070 The Fan on Wednesday morning. The team's leading scorer over the past few years, Granger has yet to play this season due to an ongoing knee injury.

After initially hurting his knee during last year's playoffs, Granger has missed every game this season with what's been described as patellar tendinosis in his left knee. While the injury never required surgery, Granger has received at least one injection into his knee since the beginning of the season.

In his absence, the Pacers have used Paul George at small forward, and he's responded fairly well to a larger role. The team has clearly missed Granger's scoring ability, though, as reflected by an offensive efficiency that's currently 29th in the league.

Most of Granger's playing time on the wings has gone to the likes of Lance Stephenson and Gerald Green, which has yielded some mixed results. Green has been especially bad in Indiana this year, with a nearly unacceptable 7.6 PER in roughly 22 minutes per contest.