The Indiana Pacers are a lot healthier this season than they were last season, starting with superstar Tyrese Haliburton.
But not all of their players have avoided injuries in the early going, and the Pacers were without two members of their backcourt in the season opener in T.J. McConnell and Aaron Nesmith.
Indiana is playing its second game of the season on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, and the Pacers will be missing McConnell again.
The good news is that Nesmith is back from a left hamstring strain.
More bad news popper up, though, as Ben Sheppard is out.
Rick Carlisle says that Aaron Nesmith is playing tonight.
Ben Sheppard is going to be OUT for a little bit.
Carlisle says no timetable for his return. Could be two weeks, could be longer. https://t.co/j35Q9voxOj
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) October 23, 2026
Here’s what we know about McConnell specifically.
Why Isn’t T.J. McConnell Playing Tonight?
McConnell is sidelined for the second consecutive game due to injury.
He has been listed by the Pacers with a right hamstring strain.
It wasn’t immediately clear during the preseason why McConnell wasn’t playing, but he didn’t appear in a preseason game.
When the Pacers officially listed McConnell on the injury report for Wednesday’s season opener, that’s when the full diagnosis of right hamstring strain was made available.
The worst part of this is that hamstring problems forced McConnell to miss 26 games last season, and he’s now 34, so his body might be letting him down a bit.
There’s no way to know whether it’s the same hamstring problem, but the recurrence or new appearance of more hamstring issues is not ideal for McConnell.
He’s a fan favorite, to be sure, and the Pacers get a jolt every time McConnell comes off the bench.
For now, though, he has to stay on the bench, because he isn’t healthy enough to get on the court.
Pacers’ Replacements for T.J. McConnell
The Pacers can certainly let Haliburton handle most of the point guard minutes since he’s healthy.
When Haliburton isn’t in the game, Andrew Nembhard can help run the point. Sheppard could’ve too, but now he’s hurt.
The Pacers also got 16 quality minutes in the opener out of guard Quenton Jackson, who has six points, four rebounds and three steals.
As long as Haliburton stays healthy, the McConnell absence hurts the Pacers’ vibes but maybe doesn’t crush the rotation all that much at this point.
Why Isn’t T.J. McConnell Playing Tonight? Pacers Injury Sidelines Fan Favorite