Kobe

Brown

After scoring 12 points in each of Indiana’s first two games out of the All-Star break, Brown put up 15 against the Mavericks. Add in the rebounds, three-pointers and percentages, and Sunday’s performance was a good one for the former Clipper. Brown hasn’t reached the point where he’s a must-roster player for the silly season, but the potential is there, especially on nights when the Pacers don’t have Pascal Siakam.

Nesmith exited Thursday’s loss to the Wizards during the second quarter and did not return, logging 15 minutes before spraining his right ankle. He’s already been ruled out for Friday’s rematch, which likely means a return to the starting lineup for Kobe Brown. Brown started the third quarter and finished with 12 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one block and two three-pointers in 33 minutes. He’s worth streaming in deep leagues for Friday, especially with Pascal Siakam (personal) also out.

Nesmith suffered a sprained right ankle during the first half of Thursday’s game and was ruled out during the halftime break. He finished with three points, two rebounds and one assist in 15 minutes. Kobe Brown started the third quarter for Nesmith, and he may be the starter for Friday’s rematch as well.

With Wednesday’s game being the Pacers’ second in two nights, they’ve rotated the starting lineup. All five starters are new, with Walker back in the lineup after missing Tuesday’s win over the Knicks due to illness. He and Huff are the best streaming options, while Brown is making his first start as a Pacer.

While Ivica Zubac will have to wait until after the All-Star break to make his Pacers debut, Brown was part of the team’s bench rotation on Tuesday. While the former first-round pick’s production was solid, it wasn’t enough to make him a must-add yet. That said, keep an eye on Brown after the All-Star break, especially if the Pacers decide to do all they can to lock down one of the league’s four-worst records.

Walker’s absence will have an impact on the Pacers, as he has been a consistent performer recently. And with Johnny Furphy (knee) out for the season, there was a chance that Walker would have moved into the starting lineup. For Tuesday’s game, Ben Sheppard and Kobe Brown are two players who can absorb the minutes that would have gone to Walker.

The 2023 first-round pick will be an add-on as part of the trade that was centered around Ivica Zubac being sent to Indiana. Brown was only playing 8.7 minutes per game for the Clippers this year, but with the Pacers now needing to finish with a top-four pick to avoid sending it to the Clippers, Brown should get an opportunity to play big minutes as the team tanks.

Even though the Pacers are not in contention this season, Zubac is signed through the 2027-28 season with his three-year, $58.6 million deal. The 28-year-old is averaging 14.4 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 43 games this season. He will slide into the starting center role for a team in desperate need of a big man, and then will form a strong core with Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam next season. This trade is also good news for the Thunder, who own the rights to the Clippers’ first-round pick. With the Clippers trading away Zubac and James Harden, that pick figures to be pretty high in the upcoming draft. The Pacers are also sending their 2016 first-round pick to the Clippers, but that pick is top 1-4 and 10-30 protected. Given that the Pacers currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, it would be a huge risk for them to play their best lineup going forward and risk picking in that 5-9 range. As a result, we may see a lot of rest days for their better players, including Zubac, in the days ahead.

Jones has suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee on two occasions this season, with both occurring in games against the Celtics. His most recent injury occurred during Saturday’s loss at home, as Celtics guard Payton Pritchard landed on Jones’ leg while diving for a loose ball. Jones has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 sprain and will miss at least six weeks before being re-evaluated. John Collins will continue to start at power forward, and there may be additional minutes available to Kobe Sanders and Kobe Brown.

Batum did not practice on Sunday and is listed as inactive for Monday’s game. His absence does not affect fantasy basketball, but it may lead to a few more minutes for fellow reserve Kobe Brown.