The Indiana Pacers have had to deal with a lot of injuries to begin the 2021-22 NBA season. One of the players they are patiently waiting on to make a return to the court is forward TJ Warren.
Warren averaged 34.8 points per game during his first five games in the bubble and quickly become someone people were keeping an eye on. It was disappointing that he played in more games there than he did the entire 2020-21 season.
Warren played in only four games last season as he dealt with a stress fracture in his left foot. There was a ton of optimism surrounding him after his breakout performance in the Orlando Bubble in 2020, but he never had a real chance to carry that momentum over.
The former N.C. State product injured his foot in December and underwent surgery in January navicular bone stress fracture he suffered. Because of the lack of blood supply, this is a notoriously slow injury when it comes to recovery time. But, the Pacers have finally received some positive news in regards to it.
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Warren was able to shed his walking boot on Wednesday night before the Pacers defeated the New York Knicks. Not only that, but he was able to get some shots up while wearing basketball shoes.
“He did some light shooting today with shoes on instead of a boot. So obviously, it’s great news for us,” Carlisle said. “There’s no timetable or anything.
“It’s going to be weeks, not days. Weeks, but hopefully not months.”
That is as encouraging of news as the Pacers have received in months in regards to Warren’s status. Without him in the mix, Indiana is receiving very little production from the small forward spot, especially when you account for Doug McDermott departing in free agency as well.
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Justin Holiday and Torrey Craig, the two small forwards currently in the rotation, are averaging 15.5 points per game combined. That is a number the Pacers are hopeful that Warren can reach and surpass on his own.
The Indiana Pacers do have a lot of firepower outside of the small forward spot, as six players are currently averaging double-digit points per game. Adding TJ Warren into that mix, eventually, will give them an even more potent offensive attack.
