Indiana Pacers DVOA, Stats, & NBA Rankings

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) will miss at least a week of action. He was already ruled out for Thursday's clash with Minnesota, and the team plans to re-evaluate him following a short two-game road trip, which starts at the weekend with a game against Orlando. "We hope it's not serious," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Mathurin's injury on Thursday. "He's a guy who bounces back very quickly and hates missing game. We hope that it's relatively short term, but he will miss a week at least." Aaron Nesmith and Ben Sheppard are looking at a boost in playing time without Mathurin, particularly with Doug McDermott (calf) also unavailable.

Indiana Pacers guard/forward Bennedict Mathurin (shoulder) won't take the court Thursday against the Timberwolves. He has been ruled out with a right shoulder sprain. Mathurin has previously been dealing with a foot issue, so the 21-year-old appears to be quite a bit bang up entering the final stretch of the season. Ben Sheppard is poised to get a boost without Mathurin, although Thursday's matchup is a rough one against a team that leads the pack in the league with a 108.0 defensive rating.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (quadriceps) could come out of the lineup again on Tuesday versus Dallas. He's played the last two games after returning from an ankle sprain, but Nesmith is now dealing with a bruise on his left quadriceps. Nesmith has been a good glue guy for the Pacers in the starting unit, registering 12.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals across the season. Bennedict Mathurin had a run as a starter during his most recent absence and appears poised to fill Nesmith's spot again if he's unavailable. The 2024 NBA Rookie Challenge MVP has finally found some consistency lately and boasts solid numbers as a starter, with 15.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists.

On Friday, Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) will be in the lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans. The 24-year-old hasn't played tending to a right ankle sprain in the team's last four games. Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have been a part of the starting five. With Nesmith in, Nembhard will likely move to the bench. In 51 games, Nesmith averages 12.6 points and 1.4 assists while playing 27.1 minutes per contest this season.

Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (ankle) has been tagged as questionable against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The 24-year-old wing hasn't played in the team's last four games while he tends to a sprained right ankle, and he may be forced to miss a fifth. He'll likely test it out during shootaround and warmup to see if he can fully give it a go. Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have joined the starting five in his absence and have both contributed some solid stat lines. Nembhard would be the more likely candidate to move to the bench once Nesmith returns, but for now, they're both solid fantasy plays regardless of the league or format.