Chris Duarte out multiple weeks for Indiana Pacers with ankle sprain
Chris Duarte will miss multiple weeks of action for the Indiana Pacers after spraining his ankle on Friday against the Miami Heat.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle discussed the injury after his team practiced on Sunday. "Sprained ankle. He's had a couple of good days. He's walking without a limp. He's getting treatment every day," Carlisle shared.
Duarte sprained his ankle in the first quarter against the Heat after landing on Kyle Lowry while defending a layup. He immediately grabbed at his ankle in pain and couldn't put any weight on it as his teammates helped him off the court. He was out for the rest of the game.
"We'll give you an update in two weeks. He will not play for two weeks," Carlisle explained of Duarte's injury timeline. Indiana plays six times in the next two weeks, and it's plausible that Duarte misses more time than just two weeks — Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Duarte will be out for four-to-six weeks. Six weeks from the injury falls on December 16, and Indiana plays 21 games in that span. If Duarte's absence lasts six weeks, which Wojnarowski reported is possible, the wing could miss over 25% of the season.
"Guys got to be ready," guard Tyrese Haliburton said of Duarte being out. "Guys just gotta be prepared for what's thrown at them."
The injury comes at a poor time for Duarte, who was rounding into form after a slow start. In the five games prior to Pacers-Heat, the second-year wing averaged 12.4 points per game while shooting 47.8% from the field and 40.7% from deep. He added 3.0 rebounds per game in that same span, and this past Monday he exploded for 30 points against the Brooklyn Nets. The 25-year old was finding his groove, but he will now be sidelined for a few weeks.
The Pacers are particularly light on wings on their roster, so replacing Duarte's minutes will be tricky. 2020 lottery pick Aaron Nesmith will need to play more minutes going forward, but he too is currently dealing with an injury. Carlisle said it is unlikely Nesmith will play on Monday when Indiana hosts New Orleans, but when the wing does return from his foot injury, he will be needed often on.
Without either Duarte or Nesmith, the Pacers will have to get creative at small forward. Carlisle turned to lineups with three, and sometimes even four, guards on Friday after Duarte went down, so guys like Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, and T.J. McConnell could see more minutes if the blue and gold continue to deploy guard-heavy units.
If Carlisle elects to use forward-sized players at the small forward spot, Terry Taylor or Oshae Brissett could play more with Duarte and Nesmith on the shelf. Indiana's rotation changes could be matchup dependent — the team has made a few playing time decisions (Terry Taylor starting early in the season, James Johnson playing more minutes in Brooklyn) based on the opponent.
To bolster their depth, the Pacers called up two-way player Trevelin Queen from the G League on Sunday. Queen debuted within the Indiana organization on Saturday, posting a statline of 27 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in a Fort Wayne Mad Ants win over the Grand Rapids Gold. He was excellent, and he might need to soak up a few minutes with the Pacers until Nesmith is healthy. His depth will be valuable.
"He played one G League game and had a good game. This is why we brought him in is to be ready," Carlisle said of Queen. The young guard/forward played in ten games for the Houston Rockets last season. "He has some NBA experience. Be a good opportunity for him to be with us."
Indiana's defense has been better this season with Duarte on the court than on the bench, so they will need to find answers on the less glamorous end of the floor. Nembhard has been effective when defending wings at times this season, but that may be a tricky long-term solution as the rookie lacks the required size to defend forwards all night. Carlsile will have to get creative.
The Pacers battle the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, and they will attempt to get back to .500 without one of their promising young players in Chris Duarte.
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