Marcus Smart Injury Status For Pacers vs Wizards

Gabe Smallson | Feb 12, 2025

Dec 15, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles the ball against Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers need every advantage that they can get ahead of their matchup against the Washington Wizards, regardless if they are a nine-win team.

Indiana is at a crucial point of the year as the All-Star break approaches occupying the No. 4 seed in a top-heavy Eastern Conference with a record of 29-23. There is no room for error down the stretch.

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The No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks are at the Pacers' heals with a record of 28-24. Indiana dropping two games in a row leading up to this Wednesday afternoon contest has certainly not made things more comfortable when thinking about playoff seeding.

Especially with the landscape of the league shifting in a seismic way due to all the trade deadline moves recently, Indiana has no choice but to lock in and eye the arduous road that lies ahead after the All-Star break.

One of the flurry of deals that came to be before the trade deadline saw the Memphis Grizzlies trade defensive anchor Marcus Smart to the Washington Wizards.

Smart has yet to make his debut in the Nation's Capital, and luckily for Pacers fans, it will not be against Indiana. Smart has been ruled out.

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Smart started his NBA career with the Boston Celtics and immediately proved himself as a defensive force in the league. This was emphasized with his first-ever Defensive Player of the Year award earned during the 2021-2022 season on his way to helping lead Boston to the NBA Finals.

Ultimately losing that series to the Golden State Warriors, Smart averaged 15.4 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game overall in the playoffs.

The last two season, Smart has been playing for the Memphis Grizzlies, but after missing most of the 2023-24 season due to injury, he had a much smaller role on the franchise as the 2024-25 campaign rolled out.

Smart is in the midst of an 8.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game season as he looks to debut with the Wizards after the All-Star break.

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For more news and notes on the Indiana Pacers, visit Indiana Pacers on SI.