Kam

Jones

McConnell will get the night off, and with Andrew Nembhard (back) as well, there will be plenty of point guard minutes open for the shorthanded Pacers. Kam Jones and Taelon Peter should fill the void for this game.

Nembhard will get the night off to manage a back injury. T.J. McConnell will as well, so the point guard minutes should be left for Kam Jones and Taelon Peter for the shorthanded Pacers.

Jones was a late addition to the injury report, but he will be able to suit up against New Orleans. However, his role has been minimal since he debuted last month, and there is no guarantee he sees the floor in this game.

Jones, who is dealing with a sprained right ankle, was absent from the Pacers’ initial injury report for Friday. The rookie guard’s availability won’t affect fantasy basketball, as he has not consistently played rotation minutes.

Mathurin injured his right (shooting) thumb during Friday’s loss to the Spurs, playing 20 minutes as a result. He’ll miss at least one complete game with the injury, leaving the already shorthanded Pacers down one of their better scorers. While Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy could play more in Mathurin’s absence, this could also be viewed as an opportunity to get rookie Kam Jones more minutes.

Both players are expected to handle their normal workloads off the bench, which means less run for Quenton Jackson and Kam Jones.

Jones, who has been out since early in the preseason with a lower back stress reaction, is officially available to make his NBA debut. Given the amount of time missed, the second-round pick out of Marquette will likely be under a minutes restriction. Jones won’t affect fantasy basketball now, but he may have “silly season” value if the Pacers can’t bounce back from their slow start.

Jones, who suffered a lower back injury during the early portion of training camp, could be available to make his official NBA debut on Friday. While his availability does not affect redraft leagues, the rookie guard’s performances and opportunities will be of interest to managers in dynasty leagues.

Jones, the 38th overall pick in June’s draft, suffered a back injury that will sideline him for an extended period. With the Pacers set to play this season without Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles), there may have been an opportunity for Jones to sneak into the back end of the rotation. Unfortunately, the back injury removes the rookie’s chance to compete for minutes during the preseason. There’s no need to consider stashing him in redraft leagues, but managers in dynasty formats should keep an eye out for any updates on the severity of Jones’ injury.

After mediocre performances in Indiana’s first two games of the summer, Jones was more productive against the Bulls. The second-round pick out of Marquette shot 4-of-5 from beyond the arc and recorded a complete stat line in Monday’s defeat. Jones’s ability to defend may improve his chances of earning playing time next season, especially with Tyrese Haliburton already ruled out with a ruptured Achilles tendon. That isn’t enough to make Jones a player worth selecting in standard leagues, but he’s worthy of consideration in deeper formats.