The Indiana Pacers dug themselves a big hole at the beginning of the NBA season getting out to a 1-6 start out of the gate. But, they have begun to turn things around over the last few games as they are starting to get healthier.
Indiana has won three of their last four games. They had their starting backcourt of Malcolm Brogdon and Caris LeVert play together for the first time last week against the New York Knicks. The Pacers have had key pieces of their rotation missing for parts of the season, which has contributed to the slow start.
Another player that they are missing is TJ Warren. Warren, when healthy, is a key cog on the wing for the Pacers as their go-to scoring option. He showcased what he is capable of during a stretch of games in the Orlando Bubble when he scored the ball at will.
Unfortunately, he has never been able to replicate that. Warren played in only four games the entire 2020-21 season as he dealt with an injury to his foot. He underwent surgery in January to fix the ailment, a navicular stress fracture in his left foot.
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Because of where the fracture was, the blood flow there isn’t great. That causes the recovery time to be a slow process. But, the Pacers do have a timetable for his return. After he shed the boot last week and was able to take shots in his basketball shoes, they now have an idea of when he will get back with the team.
The Athletic, a paid subscription website, shared the update, as Warren is a few weeks away from returning.
“There’s optimism that Pacers swingman TJ Warren will be able to make his season debut sometime in late December or January, sources said. Warren missed all but four games in 2020-21 and has yet to play this season due to lingering issues from his injured left foot. He recently got out of a walking boot and is progressing in his rehab.”
That is excellent news for the Pacers, as they could use some help on the wing. They are getting very little scoring punch from the small forward position, as Justin Holiday and Torrey Craig combine to score 14.9 points per game. Warren could provide that scoring punch on his own, averaging 15.5 points per game in his career.
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Given how long the process has been already, Indiana will assuredly take their time reacclimating Warren. He will have been sidelined nearly a full calendar year, so patience will have to be shown while he knocks off the rust.
TJ Warren returning will be the equivalent of the Indiana Pacers making a big midseason trade without having to surrender any pieces to another team. His return will certainly give the team a boost for the second half of the season.
