The Pacers will be without Tyrese Haliburton for at least two weeks, but the diagnosis of a Grade 1 left hamstring strain was a huge relief for the team, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. In a pregame session with reporters tonight, coach Rick Carlisle said there were concerns that the star guard would be out much longer when he slipped on the court Monday night.
“The news that we got on Tyrese yesterday was the best possible news that we could’ve gotten given what everybody saw,” Carlisle said. “The way he fell, the way his legs contorted and all that.”
Haliburton underwent an MRI on Tuesday that was attended by Carlisle and Haliburton’s agent, Dave Spahn. Carlisle told reporters that hamstring injuries can be tricky and indicated that the length of the guard’s absence will depend on how he responds to treatment. Haliburton will travel with the Pacers while he’s sidelined, Carlisle added, explaining that it’s beneficial to keep him close to the team.
“There are things he can do being with our training staff full time on the road that couldn’t be done here unless we left one of our therapists here and we got a whole team,” Carlisle said. “It’s the best scenario, really, to have him travel and have him work on his body and the situation and just keep going. Twelve days is going to go by fast and we’ll see where we are then. This is a 23-year-old world class athlete.”
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Pacers should consider moving Bennedict Mathurin into the starting lineup while Haliburton is sidelined, Dopirak contends in a separate story. Although the team could opt to replace him with another point guard such as Andrew Nembhard or T.J. McConnell, Dopirak notes that Mathurin is best equipped to take over Haliburton’s role as a perimeter scorer.
- Bulls guard Coby White took a major step forward with Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic injured, and he believes can continue to be just as successful now that they’ve returned, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “Nothing’s really changed. Obviously, we’re returning Zach and Vooch. But including those guys, everybody is telling me to keep doing what I’m doing, be myself and keep playing the way I’m playing,” White said. “They told me to stay aggressive, make the right play and be who I am and who I have been. It’s not going to happen like that every night. We have so many talented players on this team. I just want to stay aggressive and in attack mode.”
- Minutes restrictions for LaVine and Vucevic have been removed, Bulls coach Billy Donovan said in tonight’s pregame press conference (Twitter link from Johnson).
- Bucks guard Damian Lillard will be available for Thursday’s matchup with Boston after missing Tuesday’s game for personal reasons, according to an Associated Press report.
The Pacers should start playing Walker
Unfortunately for White, LaVine and DeRozan will take all the touches on the outside and Vuce on the inside and he will go back to taking like 11 shots a game.
Kids been playing terrific, with DeRozan likely gone in FA I’d sit him. LaVine needs playing time to try rev up high value but DeRozan can sit and offers will come in for him.
Even Vuce can sit, Drummonds been solid and the teams been winning.
Either which way they need to make some trades and get the ball rolling on the inevitable rebuild
Not just coby,patwill too,back to taking 5 shots only.
Last night Coby was the Bulls’ scoring leader, with 30 points including the shot that sealed the game, on an assist from DeRozan via Lavine. So much for that theory.