Taelon Peter's minutes jump +9 a night with a teammate out
Over the Pacers' last three games, Taelon Peter has played nine more minutes a night than his season average whenever a teammate has been out.
Taelon Peter is playing 22.2 minutes a night over the Pacers' last three games, up nine minutes from his season average of 13. That jump has come specifically in stretches with a teammate out of the lineup.
The scoring has moved with the minutes. Peter is averaging 6.7 points a game over that three-game stretch, compared to 4.5 points a game across the full 2025-26 season. He has played in 38 games this season, so this is not a small sample built on garbage time alone.
For this to hold, the Pacers need the absence that opened the door to continue, or the coaching staff needs to decide Peter has earned the extra minutes regardless of who is available. If the teammate returns and Peter's minutes snap back toward 13 a night, this was a short-term fill-in role, not a real promotion.
The last data point here is from April 12, 2026, so this is a snapshot from late in the 2025-26 season. Whether it carries into next season depends on decisions the Pacers haven't made yet.