It's been an uneven start to the season for the reigning Eastern Conference runner-up Indiana Pacers. They're 4-5 through nine games, last season's high-flying No. 2-ranked offense has fallen all the way down to No. 18, and last year's breakout superstar, Tyrese Haliburton, is averaging only 14.7 points and 7.7 assists per game.
Now, the bad news is only getting worse for the Pacers. Head coach Rick Carlisle announced on Sunday that Indiana will be without two key contributors for a decent stretch. Aaron Nesmith, dealing with a left ankle sprain, will be out at least until December. Andrew Nembhard, meanwhile, is set to miss at least two weeks due to a sore left knee.
Both Nesmith and Nembhard were key pieces during Indiana's postseason run last season, and the timing for these injuries is far from ideal. The NBA Cup begins on Tuesday, and six of their next nine games are against teams that reached the playoffs a season ago. The Pacers have already lost reserve big men James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson to season-ending Achilles tears, so their depth is getting tested very early in the year.
Fortunately for the Pacers, depth is a strength. They didn't have former No. 6 overall pick Bennedict Mathurin during last season's playoff run, but he's averaging 17.3 points on 52-41-80 shooting splits this season. Former No. 8 overall pick Jarace Walker has also started to work his way into the rotation as well. He scored a career-high 17 points in a win over Orlando on Wednesday. Indiana built with injuries in mind, as they also re-signed key bench pieces T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin to long-term deals this summer.
Injuries are hitting just about everyone thus far this season, and the Pacers are no exception. They survived Mathurin's absence a season ago. Now, they'll have to adjust to life without Nesmith and Nembhard at least for the time being.