Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte assigned to Fort Wayne Mad Ants, begins rehab assignment

Duarte has been out since November 4 with an ankle injury.

The Indiana Pacers are assigning injured wing Chris Duarte to their G League affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, as a part of his rehab.

Fort Wayne announced on Tuesday that Duarte had been assigned to the team for practice and added in the press release that he also practiced with the Mad Ants on Monday. The young wing has a sprained right ankle and hasn't played in a game since November 4.

"He did well," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Duarte's first practice with the G League club. Carlisle added that Duarte will likely play in two games for the Mad Ants this week when they take on the Wisconsin Herd on Wednesday and Friday.

"After practice today, the first thing he said to me was 'I feel a lot better than I expected'," Carlisle said of Duarte's first practice. The coach added that the practice was terrific and that Duarte could rejoin the Pacers after the games with Fort Wayne.

There was some hope that the 2021 13th overall pick would be healthy during the Pacers' recent road trip, but that didn't end up being the case. Duarte was averaging 8.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game prior to his injury, including a 30-point explosion against the Brooklyn Nets.

Carlisle noted that this is part of what makes the G League so valuable. Indiana has used the Mad Ants for rehab assignments in the past to aid the recovery process. Young center Isaiah Jackson spent time with Fort Wayne last season as he recovered from a knee injury.

"It was very helpful. I feel like the G League is a place where guys can go get better," Jackson said. "I feel like for Chris, it's going to be big for him... he'll be able to test [his ankle]."

The Pacers have lost some rebounding and defense without Duarte, and he was an impressive scorer last season. His shot was inaccurate early in the ongoing campaign, but his shot making was improving before the injury.

Looking at the Pacers schedule, Duarte may be able to return this Sunday when the Pacers host the Knicks. If not, Indiana's trip to Boston on Wednesday the 21st could make sense, assuming Duarte's rehab assignments go as planned and his health continues to improve.

The Pacers are 14-14 and could use reinforcements to help get back over .500. Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard have seen a boost in minutes during Duarte's absence.

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