Pacers bad luck continues: David West, George Hill, C.J. Watson all to miss opener, more time with injuries
Oct 27, 2014, 2:24 PM EDT
Getty Images The basketball gods have turned their vengeance on the Pacers, making this coming season look like Odysseus trying to get back to Ithaca.
First it was losing Paul George likely for the season with his horrific leg injury playing for Team USA. Two guard Rodney Stuckey has had a foot issue and hasn’t seemed likely to play opening night.
Then came this dreadful injury report from the Pacers on Monday.
Forward David West will miss at least three games with a sprained right ankle. Guard George Hill is expected to miss at least three weeks with a left knee contusion and guard C.J. Watson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a bruised right foot.
That would be the Pacers starting power forward and likely leading scorer in West, the starting point guard in Hill and his backup in Watson. We have known about the injuries for a while, specifically West, but when you see it all together it adds up.
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It means Luis Scola and Roy Hibbert are going to get all the touches they could want, and the defenses will pack it in to adjust. There is no reason to fear the Pacers wings — they don’t have guys who can create shots for themselves and others right now. The Pacers may still be a solid defensive team but losing George (and Lance Stephenson to free agency) was already going to damage their offense. These injuries decimate it in the short term.
It’s going to be a rough season in Indiana.
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- andrewwiggins22 - Oct 27, 2014 at 3:41 PM
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i won’t be surprised if I hear Scola and Hibbert get hurt during the season.
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- observingii - Oct 27, 2014 at 4:57 PM
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A good spot for Dante Cunningham, cleared by the courts, blacklisted by the NBA.
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- moppop - Oct 27, 2014 at 6:52 PM
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To the lottery it is!
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- sportsfan18 - Oct 27, 2014 at 7:00 PM
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Me thinks they might push the Sixers for last place in the league…
And I had the Pacers finishing in 9th, just ahead of the Knicks before all this stuff…
Well Knicks, y’all get to finish in 9th place in the East this season…
Behind, in no particular order…
Cavs
Bulls
Heat
Wiz
Raps
Charlotte
Hawks
Nets (well if Brooks can play at least 50 something games and D Will’s ankles don’t fail him…)
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- dablakdrphil - Oct 27, 2014 at 7:57 PM
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Welcome to our world of injuries
-Los Angeles Lakers
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- ProBasketballPundit - Oct 27, 2014 at 8:32 PM
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Sam Hinkie is jealous of the Pacers opening day lineup.
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- 22yearsagotoday - Oct 27, 2014 at 9:01 PM
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Wouldn’t be surprised if Larry Bird, himself, broke something.
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- ebecks34 - Oct 28, 2014 at 10:42 AM
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What I’ve read:
Forward David West will miss at least three games with a sprained right TANK.
Guard George Hill is expected to miss at least three weeks with a left TANK contusion.
C.J. Watson is expected to miss at least two weeks with a bruised right TANK.Indiana should be renamed Indiana Panzers this year.
