Coach Rick Carlisle discussed Wednesday night the issues the Pacers (1-7) have had on offense with their point guard depth having been decimated by injuries. They may be close to getting their opening-day starter at the position back.
Guard Andrew Nembhard was upgraded to questionable on Friday’s injury report for Saturday’s 9 p.m. game against the Nuggets in Denver. After starting last season at shooting guard, Nembhard shifted to point guard to start in place of All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, who is out for the season with an Achilles tendon tear suffered in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Nembhard strained his left shoulder in the first half of the Pacers’ season opener against the Thunder when he got his arm tangled with MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He left that game and has missed each of the Pacers’ seven games since.
Nembhard, a point guard by trade, averaged 10.0 points, 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals last season and 12.5 points, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals in the Pacers’ playoff run.
The Pacers will still be without seven other players, all listed as out. That includes Haliburton, veteran point guard T.J. McConnell (right hamstring strain), high-scoring wing Bennedict Mathurin (great toe sprain), rookie guard Kam Jones (lower back stress reaction), forward Obi Toppin (right foot stress fracture), two-way contract guard Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain), and promising young forward Johnny Furphy (left ankle sprain). Haliburton is out for the season. Toppin is out until at least February after surgery. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Furphy and Jackson will at least miss all of the Pacers’ upcoming four-game western road trip. Carlisle said on Oct. 9 that McConnell would miss at least a month, but Sunday will mark a month since that statement, so his status could be updated on this road trip.
The Pacers signed veteran point guard Monte Morris on Friday to address the injury issues. They also have added forwards Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Cody Martin on 10-day hardship contracts.
