Heading into this season, the Indiana Pacers knew they were going to be without Tyrese Haliburton after he tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. After that injury, the Pacers moved Bennedict Mathurin into the starting lineup and moved Andrew Nembhard to point guard.
Things have gone from bad to worse on the injury front. Kam Jones has been dealing with a back issue, and then got arrested. T.J. McConnell is dealing with a hamstring injury that will keep him out of the first ten games of the season. Nembhard hurt his shoulder and has missed the last two games.
Injuries have gotten even worse for Indiana since then. Both Obi Toppin and Bennedict Mathurin went out with injuries against the Timberwolves on Sunday, furthering the injury concerns. Indiana will now have to navigate a tricky schedule without both players for a while.
The Indiana Pacers to Be Without Obi Toppin and Bennedict Mathurin for Multiple Weeks
While speaking to reporters, head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned that Toppin will miss at least a month with a hamstring injury. Mathurin will be week-to-week and still needs further imaging on his foot. The Pacers are now without six of their top eight contributors from a year ago.
Carlisle addressed the signing of Mac McClung that was made on Monday to help alleviate the point guard woes.
“We had a workout yesterday with three guys, and he basically won the position.”
McClung will have to be ready to play right away now that the Pacers are down even more contributors. Without Mathurin or Nembhard in the starting backcourt, Quenton Jackson and Ben Sheppard are likely going to be the starting guards.
Pacers Guard Andrew Nembhard Is Likely to Return Soon
The one piece of good news that Carlisle was able to give is Nembhard’s availability. He mentioned that Nembhard is doing things at practice. That likely means he will return sometime in the near future, which would give the Pacers at least one starter back.
Indiana has started the season 0-3, with losses to the Thunder, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves. They will play twice more in October, taking on the Mavericks and the Hawks. There isn’t an easy win in sight for a team that made the NBA Finals just a year ago.
Carlisle hasn’t given any indication on any future moves the team might make, but they will likely soon be a candidate for a hardship exception. That’s something that Keivn Pritchard will likely look into in the coming days, especially coming off this news.
As for what the Pacers will look like on the court without their key guys, the pace of play is going to slow down. Pascal Siakam will be asked to do even more offensively. There’s a chance this team ends up in the lottery if they aren’t able to get healthy very soon.
The Pacers play three sets of back-to-back games in their first ten games, making it even harder for them to finally get a win. Health might ultimately dictate what kind of path this team takes this season.
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