Indiana Pacers rookie forward Kendall Brown out indefinitely after surgery
Indiana Pacers rookie wing Kendall Brown is out indefinitely after having surgery on his right leg.
According to the Pacers, Brown underwent a surgical procedure to address a right tibia stress fracture. Dr. Renn Crichlow at OrthoIndy performed the surgery, and Brown is expected to make a complete and full recovery.
Brown missed about six weeks with a stress reaction in the same right tibia earlier this season. He was out from early December to late January before returning to G League action on January 22 with six points and two rebounds.
"I was playing on it for a couple months just going to practice and games, just playing through it. I just thought it was a little muscle thing," Brown said of his injury that week. "And then we took an MRI and that’s when they showed the stress reaction. That’s when they told me to take a break and chill."
Brown played in a game for the Pacers just a few days before being announced as out with his stress reaction. He has averaged 1.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per game in six NBA appearances.
"I felt it and we just did treatment for it, but I didn’t know if it was anything serious, so I just kept playing through it," Brown said.
Now, just over a month later, he had surgery and he's out for a while. It is unknown at this time if Brown will be able to return this season.
"Surgery went good y'all, blessings!" Brown said in an Instagram story on Monday.
The 19-year old forward was trying to work on defense during his G League stints this season. He is on a two-way contract, meaning he splits time between the Pacers and their G League affiliate team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. With Fort Wayne, he was figuring out how to impact the game without scoring.
In 16 games with the Mad Ants, Brown has averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7% from the field. His speed and athleticism stand out at the G League level.
Brown was selected 48th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. The Pacers traded away a 2026 second round draft pick and cash considerations to acquire the youngster. He doesn't play much for the Pacers, so there will be little needed in terms of adjustments for the NBA club.
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