The Indiana Pacers got bitten early and hard by the injury bug this season. James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson were ruled out for the season after tearing their Achilles, Ben Sheppard has missed time with an oblique injury, and Aaron Nesmith is expected to be back at some point in mid-December with an ankle injury.
At least, Nesmith was expected to be back at some point this month, but that timeline seems to have been pushed back.
Last season, Nesmith averaged 12.2 points and shot 41.9 percent from 3-point range for the Pacers and was a promising piece moving forward. He has been out since November 1 and has only appeared in six games for Indiana this year.
On Tuesday, Pacers' head coach Rick Carlisle offered an injury update to reporters, but it doesn't sound good.
"Weeks away," the coach said. "Sheppard's closer, but I'm not sure how much closer. So, nothing's imminent with either guy. So, that's where we are right now."
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While it's easy to blame injuries for the Pacers' early-season woes, fans simply are not content with that being an excuse. After marching to the Conference Finals last year and retaining much of the same roster, the Pacers were expected to be in the thick of it this season, but are instead ninth in the Conference, sharing a record with the Chicago Bulls and Detroit Pistons.
For a team hoping to turn the tide and make the postseason, the update surrounding Nesmith is not a great sign.
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This story was originally published December 11, 2024, 2:30 PM.