They Desperately Need This Player Back After Latest Lost To The Toronto Raptors

The Indiana Pacers have not gotten off to a good start on the new season.

Injuries?

They've got multiple ones.

Lose close games?

They've done that twice.

Get blown out?

They've lost back-to-back games by double-digits.

Final from Toronto. pic.twitter.com/Kjtl23EDwF
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 28, 2021

Nothing seems to be going there way, and for a team that excels on offense and struggles on defense, they did not even have a player score more than 18 points on Wednesday night in Toronto against the Raptors.

"We were a step slow all night," Rick Carlisle said postgame.

Rick Carlisle says the #Pacers "were a step slow all night" in their loss to the Raptors.#GoldBlooded pic.twitter.com/EXBCCuMfz6
— Bally Sports Indiana (@BallySportsIN) October 28, 2021

The Pacers lost the game 118-100; they were down by nine points at halftime and 16 points heading into the fourth quarter.

Quite simply, it was not their night.

Not to mention they also lost to more players to injury during the game.

Malcolm Brogdon and Isaiah Jackson both left the game with injuries.

Isaiah Jackson heads to the locker room under trainers' assistance after appearing to suffer a leg injury. #Pacers pic.twitter.com/TrI1sRIBGX
— Bally Sports Indiana (@BallySportsIN) October 28, 2021

Injury Update: Malcolm Brogdon has a sore left hamstring and will not return tonight.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 28, 2021

They've already been without Caris LeVert, T.J. Warren and Kelan Martin.

Right now, this team desperately needs to add LeVert back into the fold as he has missed the first five games of the new season with a back injury.

The team gave an update on him on Tuesday, and listed him as questionable for the game on Wednesday (which he did not play in).

Caris LeVert returned to practice today, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.

“I don’t know when he will play in games…hopefully soon.”
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 26, 2021

Last season they acquired him as part of a three-team trade with the Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets.

In the 35 games he played for the Pacers he averaged 20.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

He scores, he rebounds, he play-makes and he defends.

The Pacers will need him back sooner rather than later, because right now they're 1-4 and have lost several winnable games.