The latest on Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte and his ankle injury
Indiana Pacers wing Chris Duarte has missed six straight games for the Indiana Pacers after suffering an ankle sprain early in the month of November. At the time, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle revealed that Duarte would be out for multiple weeks.
Despite not playing since November 4, Duarte could be back in the next few weeks. AllPacers has learned that it's doubtful the 25-year old plays during the ongoing week while the Pacers are at home, but it's possible he will be able to return on the team's upcoming road trip.
Indiana will be away from home from November 27 to December 7 while they play seven consecutive away games against Western Conference opponents. There's a chance the 2021 lottery pick could return during that stretch.
The Pacers have played well in Duarte's absence and have won five of the six games they have played without him. But the team still has a better defensive rating with the wing on the court than on the bench, so his skillset is missed. And the 2021 All-Rookie team member is losing development opportunities while he sits out.
Duarte could be seen getting shots up at Pacers practice last week.
Duarte averaged over 13 points per game as a rookie and had a 30-point game a few days before hurting his ankle. He had a poor start to the season for the blue and gold, but he was rounding into form before he was forced to sit out.
Indiana has turned to Andrew Nembhard on the wing with some success in recent weeks. The rookie guard has done well fitting into numerous different Pacers lineups, and he is one of the team's best perimeter defenders already, though he still trails Duarte's skill in that area.
The Pacers next play on Monday when they host the Orlando Magic. They will be looking for their tenth win of the season and fifth in a row. Duarte is averaging 8.9 points per game so far during his second NBA season.
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