NO team has been more affected by injuries this season than the Indiana Pacers. They have been crushed since the preseason started, especially at the guard spot. Five of the Pacers’ top seven rotational players are out with injuries.
Andrew Nembhard and T.J. McConnell continue to be out with a shoulder injury and a hamstring injury, respectively. Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire season with a torn Achilles tendon. The Pacers just lost third-string point guard Quenton Jackson to a hamstring injury of his own.
To combat the injuries, the Pacers signed Mac McClung to a non-guaranteed deal. Unfortunately for McClung, he didn’t make enough of an impact on the team. Indiana has decided to waive him to make room for another point guard.
Indiana Pacers Waive Mac McClung to Sign Monte Morris
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Pacers have decided to cut ties with McClung in order to sign Monte Morris. Morris was originally set to sign with the Pacers during training camp, but it was revealed that he was dealing with a calf injury.
Morris will now get a chance to help a depleted Pacers backcourt. Indiana desperately needs someone who can create shots for others, as they have the fourth-fewest assists in the league, which is a far cry from where they were a year ago when they were healthy.
With such little ball movement, the Pacers haven’t been able to put up enough points to get wins. They have just one win on the season and are tied with the worst record in the league. If they don’t have open shots, it’s very hard for Indiana to score.
The Pacers are coming off a home loss to the Nets, which might be rock-bottom for a team that made the NBA Finals a year ago. It’s still unclear when they will be getting some of their guards back, but McConnell and Nembhard are the ones closest to getting back on the court.
The Indiana Pacers Might Start Monte Morris
With the lack of ball movement that has been plaguing the team, there’s a chance the Pacers start Morris right away. Morris isn’t a massive assist machine, as his career-high in assists is 3.4. He has been known as more of a scorer in the league.
The Pacers will take that too. Indiana scores the third-fewest points per game in the league, mainly because it thrives on ball movement. Without the ball moving, the Pacers can’t play the random offense that they love to play. Their tempo slows down, which makes it harder to score in transition.
Indiana is trying to keep this season from completely going off the rails. While it is still early, they understand that they can’t dig themselves much deeper into a hole before it’s impossible to get out. Rick Carlisle is trying his best to push the right buttons.
Until the Pacers start to get some of their main guys back in the rotation, wins are going to be hard to come by.
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