The Indiana Pacers have only been able to play their new starting lineup once so far this year. Aaron Nesmith started his first game against the Nets. He missed the opener with a hamstring injury and came off the bench in their second game.
Against the Nets, Indiana lost Ivica Zubac shortly into the contest. While he was chasing a rebound, Kelly Oubre Jr. got in his way, and Zubac rolled his ankle while stepping on Oubre’s foot. His availability for the game against the Bucks has now been revealed.
Pacers to be Without Ivica Zubac vs. the Bucks
Zubac has officially been ruled out of the game against the Bucks with a left ankle sprain. It’s the first game he has missed this season. He only played five games for the Pacers last season after being traded to the team at the deadline. He had a rib injury that cost him most of the second half of the year.
This would have been the first time that Zubac faced off against Myles Turner, the former starting center for the Pacers, as a member of the blue and gold in the regular season. Instead, Indiana will likely have to turn to Jay Huff as the starting center. They could decide to go small and start Obi Toppin instead.
Zubac isn’t the only player who could miss this game. Andrew Nembhard is listed as questionable with neck stiffness. This would be the first game this season that he has missed, as well. Indiana is already thin at guard, as T.J. McConnell and Ben Sheppard are still out.
Injuries early in the season are nothing new for the Pacers. They dealt with the same issue a year ago, and it led to them winning just 19 games. The good news is that they still have Tyrese Haliburton healthy. He has played well since returning to the court.
Indiana Shouldn’t be Without Ivica Zubac for Long
It doesn’t seem that the Pacers will be without Zubac for too long, even though he left the arena on crutches after the Brooklyn game. With this game being the second night of a back-to-back, there is no need to rush him back. The Bucks are also one of the worst teams in the league.
With the new starting lineup, the Pacers have looked good in terms of scoring the ball. However, turnovers have been a huge problem so far this year. Indiana averages 15 turnovers per game, which ranks 14th in the league. For a team that is usually in the top five in fewest turnovers, that’s an issue.
Once Zubac returns, Haliburton can keep working to get more chemistry with him moving forward. That added chemistry should help the team when the games get more important towards the end of the season. The hope is to be fully healthy by mid-November, as well.
Pacers Get Bad News on Ivica Zubac Ahead of Bucks Game