Pacers Offer Promising Update on Aaron Nesmith Injury

When the season started, injuries afflicted the Indiana Pacers immediately. They lost two centers to season-ending injuries in the first couple of games.

Then, in game six, the Pacers lost Aaron Nesmith to a severely sprained ankle. Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard would go on to suffer injuries as well.

The myriad of injuries was why the Pacers started the season so poorly. A 6-10 start put them behind the eight ball in the Eastern Conference.

Since then, the team has gotten much healthier, and that has led to a lot more wins. The Pacers have started winning games against good teams too, even taking down the Cavs over the weekend.

Unfortunately, Nesmith still hasn't returned from his ankle sprain. He still has played in just six games, having not played in a game since November 1st. Indiana has had to figure out how to win without their best perimeter defender and one of their best 3-point shooters.

The Pacers gave some good news on Nesmith recently. Ahead of Indiana's game against the Pistons, Nesmith has been upgraded to questionable.

Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith has been UPGRADED to questionable for Thursday's game in Detroit. He has been out since Nov. 1.

From my story this week: https://t.co/sXPZc6a3ZV pic.twitter.com/Ps9LPwtbxj
— Scott Agness (@ScottAgness) January 15, 2025

This is great news for Indiana. They have been looking for a positive update on him for a while.

Adding Nesmith back to the lineup is akin to making a big move at the trade deadline. He's close to being better than any name they could grab on the trade market anyway, based on their financial situation.

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There is no guarantee that Nesmith will play tonight, but even if he doesn't, this is still a positive update. It means that the Pacers are confident that he is very close to being ready to go.

When he does come back, it will be interesting to see whether or not he's immediately inserted back into the starting lineup or if he comes off the bench. Bennedict Mathurin is suspended for the game against Detroit, so Nesmith could start if he's able to go.

Moving forward, Nesmith might have to come off the bench to get back into game shape before getting back into the starting lineup. Mathurin has also been pretty good in his stead, so it would be hard to demote him right away.

So far this season, Nesmith is averaging 9.2 points, four rebounds, and one assist this season.

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