Pacers Nightly

Three Pacers are listed as out. Aaron Nesmith has a left hamstring injury. T.J. McConnell has a right hamstring injury. Both have an estimated return date of October 23, which is opening night. So it is not yet clear if either will play against Dallas. Nesmith matters on the wing. Last season he averaged 13.8 points in 29.7 minutes and shot 37.9 percent from three in 45 games. McConnell, 34, is the oldest player on the roster and is in his 11th season. Johnny Furphy is out much longer. The 21-year-old guard has a right knee injury, and his estimated return is January 2, 2027. Last season Furphy played 35 games and averaged 5.1 points and 4.4 rebounds in 18.4 minutes.

Pascal Siakam is the starting point. Last season he averaged 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 62 games, and he shot 35.8 percent from three. He is 32 and in his 10th season. Andrew Nembhard is the main playmaker. Last season he averaged 16.9 points and 7.7 assists in 57 games. Ivica Zubac, 29, anchors the middle. His line last season was 14.1 points and 10.6 rebounds in 48 games. Kelly Oubre Jr. also averaged 14.1 points last season, plus 5.0 rebounds in 50 games. Tyrese Haliburton is on the roster at 26 and in his fifth season. Jarace Walker gives the team more shooting. He played 76 games last season, scored 11.6 points a game and hit 37.4 percent from three.

Jay Huff played all 82 games last season. He averaged 9.5 points in 21.0 minutes and gives Indiana a second center behind Zubac. Larry Nance Jr., 33, can play forward or center. Obi Toppin, Kobe Brown, Ben Sheppard, Quenton Jackson and Jalen Slawson fill out the bench. Braden Smith is a rookie guard. He is 23 and wears No. 3. Four players from last season's group are gone. Micah Potter is with the Trail Blazers. Kam Jones is with the Bucks, so Indiana will see him on October 26 in Milwaukee. James Wiseman is with the Knicks. Taelon Peter is unsigned. Per reports dated October 17, the Pacers also waived James Johnson and two other players as they set the opening-night roster.

The numbers from 2025-26 are hard to look at. Indiana went 19-63. Its offensive rating was 110.1 and its defensive rating was 117.9. That left a net rating of -7.8. The Pacers scored 112.4 points per game and played fast, with a pace of 101.8. Their shooting efficiency held up better than the record. The effective field goal percentage was 53.3, and true shooting was 56.8. The defense was the real problem. Plus-minus tells the same story. Nembhard was at -6.9 and Walker at -6.0 last season. Even the best marks on the list were negative: Zubac at -1.0 and Oubre at -1.3. A healthier rotation and a full season of the current core are the obvious ways to close that gap.

Indiana's October exhibition schedule was mostly close games. The Pacers beat Minnesota 123-112 at home on October 7. Then came three straight one-possession losses: 117-119 to Atlanta, 112-114 at Oklahoma City and 127-128 to Milwaukee. They closed on October 21 with a 123-120 win at New Orleans. The losses to the Thunder and Hawks were by two points each, and the loss to the Bucks was by one. Those games do not count, but the pattern is worth watching. The offense put up points, and the late-game execution came and went. Notes on Haliburton, Zubac, Nesmith and McConnell were among the Pacers items reported on October 16. The real test begins Thursday against Dallas.