Pacers Star Guard Lands On Injury Report Prior to Pistons Matchup
![[US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 25, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; Indiana Pacers player Andrew Nembhard shoots against the San Antonio Spurs in the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images [US, Mexico, & Canada customers only] Jan 25, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; Indiana Pacers player Andrew Nembhard shoots against the San Antonio Spurs in the Paris Games 2025 NBA basketball game at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephanie Lecocq/Reuters via Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_5499,h_3093,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/all_pacers/01jjsb6x3rhxdbbyj1v8.jpg)
This season has been a tale of injuries for the Indiana Pacers. Almost immediately, they started losing guys from their rotation coming off a season where they made the Eastern Conference Finals.
Just a few games into the season, the Pacers lost both backup centers to a torn Achilles. Soon after, they lost Andrew Nembhard to a knee issue that cost him close to a month.
Aaron Nesmith then suffered a severe ankle sprain that cost him 35 games of the season. He just recently returned and has slowly been brought back.
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Indiana struggled to navigate the injuries at first, but then they were able to find a way to make it work. Now, they are fifth in the Eastern Conference standings.
The key to their run of good play has been the fact that they have been getting healthier by the week. That has allowed them to keep the chemistry of the starting lineup and the rotation together.
Going into their two-game series against the Spurs in France, they were as healthy as they had been all season. In the first game, they got blown out. They then blew out the Spurs in the second game.
Now, the Pacers are getting ready to play their first game since coming back from France. They are taking on the Pistons.
Ahead of that matchup, they might be without one of their best players. Nembhard has found himself on the injury report again.
Andrew Nembhard is back on the Pacers' injury report, listed as questionable (back sprain) for Wednesday v Pistons.
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) January 28, 2025
Nembhard has been instrumental in improving Indiana's defense. With him out there to protect Tyrese Haliburton on defense, this team is much better.
Defense isn't the only value that Nembhard brings, either. He provides secondary ball-handling to the starting lineup and can set up Haliburton when he's off the ball.
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Indiana would love to have Nembhard play in this game. If he can't go, it would likely mean that Ben Sheppard would get the start at shooting guard.
That could mean more minutes for Jarace Walker off the bench, who has fallen to the fringes of the rotation now that Nesmith has returned.
Nembhard has been averaging 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game this season.
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