Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin can have season-ending surgical procedure on a torn labrum in his proper shoulder, the staff introduced Saturday. He’s anticipated to make a full restoration forward of the 2024-25 season. Mathurin’s surgical procedure will happen in Los Angeles subsequent week.
Bennedict Mathurin has been recognized with a torn labrum in his proper shoulder, an damage which would require surgical procedure.
He’ll miss the rest of the 2023-24 season and is predicted to make a full restoration forward of the 2024-25 season.
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— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) March 9, 2024
Dropping Mathurin for the season is a big blow to the Pacers, not simply because the second-year guard is a gifted participant who’s fourth on the staff in scoring at 14.5 factors per sport, but in addition as a result of he performs a spot the place Indiana was already skinny. The Pacers had despatched out sharpshooter Buddy Hield and Swiss military knife Bruce Brown on the commerce deadline partially as a result of the 21-year-old Mathurin appeared able to tackle an even bigger position. However now Mathurin’s place will seemingly need to be crammed by the a lot much less offensively potent tandem of Andrew Nembhard and rookie Ben Sheppard.
The damage additional threatens Indiana’s hopes of qualifying for the principle playoff area. Indiana had slipped to eighth within the Jap Convention at 35-29 even earlier than shedding Mathurin, having received solely 12 of its previous 26 video games. Whereas the Pacers entered Sunday’s play 3.5 video games forward of the ninth-place Chicago Bulls, Indiana may simply discover itself within the Play-In Event, having to play a highway sport within the first spherical whereas shorthanded after which, in the event that they lose, needing to outlive a single-elimination contest at residence.
Touchdown within the eighth seed would seemingly imply a frightening matchup towards the mighty Boston Celtics within the first spherical.
For a franchise that gave up three first-round picks to the Toronto Raptors earlier this 12 months for veteran ahead Pascal Siakam partially to make a run at extra lifelike competition, it’s a tricky blow. Whereas the Pacers are nonetheless inside arm’s attain of the fourth seed, Indiana’s current struggles and the lack of Mathurin may doom it to a short playoff run.
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