Indiana Pacers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Indiana Pacers power forward Obi Toppin (ankle) will not play against Boston on Friday. Toppin injured his left ankle in Thursday's 120-114 loss to Oklahoma City and will miss at least one game because of the injury. Jarace Walker should fill his minutes off the bench. From a fantasy perspective, Walker can be a bit of a hit-and-miss, but he made a positive impact on Thursday. The 21-year-old recorded 12 points, five rebounds, and one block in 15 minutes. Boston allows the ninth-most bench points in the league, so we could see a similar effort from Walker on Friday.

Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (knee) has been ruled out for Friday's contest against Boston. He will sit out the second night of a back-to-back for left knee injury management purposes. Nembhard went off for a season-high 23 points in 29 minutes on Thursday versus Oklahoma City. Ben Sheppard might be Nembhard's replacement in the starting unit on Friday, with T.J. McConnell picking up extra minutes off the bench. Sheppard typically isn't productive during his time on the court. He had only five points with a pair of assists, and one steal in 22 minutes on Thursday. McConnell is a much better fantasy option.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (oblique) will be active against Oklahoma City on Thursday. The team listed him as questionable on the initial injury report, but Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has confirmed that Turner will play. The 28-year-old is coming off a nice 23-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Warriors. Only two teams allow more rebounds to opposing centers than OKC, so Turner should be able to flirt with another double-double on Thursday night. He's also currently on a four-game run with multiple blocks.

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (oblique) has been listed as questionable for Thursday's matchup against Oklahoma City. An oblique strain might end a run of 12 consecutive appearances for Turner. Newly acquired Thomas Bryant looks set for a starting role if Turner can't play on Thursday. Bryant has always done well as a starter, averaging 12.4 points and 7.4 rebounds in the role for his career. However, this is a difficult matchup for Indiana's centers, as Oklahoma City allows the ninth-fewest fantasy points to opposing fives.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Heat have agreed to trade center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers. In exchange, Indiana will swap a future second-round pick with Miami. The 27-year-old has averaged only 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds this season. But with James Wiseman (Achilles) and Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) both sidelined, the team needed another big. While Bryant won't start unless Myles Turner isn't available, he should see more playing time in Indiana. Still, unless he finds himself with the first five, his contributions could be sporadic.