Braden Smith is getting the call Monday night, and the Pacers are leaning hard on a roster that is stretched almost to the breaking point.
The former Purdue All-American and Westfield High School standout will make his first NBA start against the Hawks, coach Rick Carlisle said before the game. Smith, a second-round pick on a two-way contract, has appeared in four games and logged 18 minutes so far. He has yet to make a field goal, going 0 for 3, but he has scored once from the free-throw line and has two assists.
"This is obviously a great opportunity for Braden," Carlisle said. "He will start so he'll have his first career NBA start which is pretty exciting for him I would think."
For Smith, the moment fits a pattern he knows well. He started all 149 games he played in over four seasons at Purdue, winning the starting point guard job as a freshman, helping lead the Boilermakers to the national title game as a sophomore and earning All-America honors as a junior and senior.
"Everybody always says 'stay ready,'" Smith said in the pre-game open locker room period. "And for me, I come from a background my entire life, I played.
When I was at Purdue I started since I stepped foot on campus. I started in high school all that stuff.
To me, it's an expectation, how I always hold myself as a competitor, that's how I am."
The Pacers’ availability sheet tells the bigger story. They will dress only eight players, with seven actually available.
Obi Toppin was listed as questionable when the injury report came out Monday afternoon, and Carlisle said he will dress only to get the Pacers to the required minimum of eight active players. He will not play.
Larry Nance Jr., who was listed as doubtful with an illness, is also out.
Eight more players were ruled out in the team’s initial injury report. Pascal Siakam, Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard are sitting the second night of a back-to-back for rest or injury management.
Carlisle said this is the Pacers’ second back-to-back in a week, which is why those players got this game off and not the second night of the season’s first back-to-back. Tyrese Haliburton, Ivica Zubac, T.J.
McConnell, Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy remain sidelined as well.
That leaves just four healthy players on standard contracts: Quenton Jackson, Kelly Oubre Jr., Jarace Walker and Jay Huff. The rest of the available group is on two-way deals, including Smith, Kobe Brown and Jalen Slawson, all of whom must be active.
"We're just gonna have to get through this thing the best we can," Carlisle said.
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