Pacers News: Rick Carlisle Provides Unfortunate Injury Update on Multiple Starters

Ricardo Klein | Nov 24, 2024

Nov 1, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers have been one of the more hobbled teams in the league thus far. They have struggled to stay healthy this season, and their fortunes likely won't get any better.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle shared an injury update on three of his key players, and none of it is positive.

Carlisle said it is "weeks not days" for Pacers guard Ben Sheppard. Sheppard will miss multiple weeks due to an oblique injury.

Rick Carlisle says it's "weeks not days" for Ben Sheppard now. Said there was an MRI that shows it's worse than they had hoped. Said he doesn't have an update on Andrew Nembhard either.

— Dustin Dopirak (@DustinDopirak) November 24, 2024

An MRI showed Sheppard's injury is worse than initially anticipated, so he'll join fellow key Pacers like Andrew Nembhard (knee) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle) on the long-term injury list.

Quenton Jackson has been the next man up, while Bennedict Mathurin continues to excel as a starter. Sheppard will likely be re-evaluated around Christmas.

The absence of Sheppard has been detrimental to the team. Although his numbers aren't great—he averages 5.8 points per game and shoots 40.4 percent from beyond the 3-point arc—he provided depth, something the Pacers desperately need at this point.

While Sheppard's absence is not ideal, it gets worse for the Pacers. Carlisle also said that he does not have an update for Nembhard, who has been out since Nov. 6.

Nembhard was slated to miss two weeks, but that was already two weeks ago. Nembhard is dealing with a knee issue, and there is no timetable for a return. For the season, the 24-year-old from Gonzaga is averaging 7.3 points per game, 2.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and is shooting 38 percent from the field.

Nembhard has only played in seven games this season and averages 26.7 minutes per game.

As for Nesmith, Carlisle said he hopes he can come back sometime in December, not January. The original report on Nemsith was that he would be out until at least December after he suffered a severe ankle injury.

The fifth-year wing continues to be out for an extended period of time. With Nemsith out, Sheppard was supposed to come in and carry the load, but he is also dealing with an injury of his own.

At least the Pacers' third-year guard, Bennedict Mathurin, is carrying the load and then some. Mathurin is averaging 18.9 points per game this season and has scored 20+ points in three of his last four games.

Things aren't getting any easier for the Pacers, and they'll be without their three key players for a while.

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