Pacers fans have seen this before with Quenton Jackson.
He is not Tyrese Haliburton. He is not Andrew Nembhard.
He is not TJ McConnell. But when Indiana has needed someone to absorb more responsibility in the backcourt, Jackson has repeatedly shown he can handle it.
With Haliburton out for four games because of a hamstring injury, McConnell still sidelined for the same reason, and Nembhard missing a game for injury management, Jackson got his first start of the season Monday night against the Atlanta Hawks and kept delivering the kind of play that has made him so valuable.
The Texas A&M product has been solid all season, but the last three games have pushed his production to another level. Over that stretch, he has averaged 18.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, while shooting 54.1/40/90.9% and committing 2 turnovers per game.
He has been a force in transition and a disruptive defender, which is nothing new. What has stood out more recently is the way he has flashed as a playmaker.
Jackson is not a floor general, but he has become an underrated creator. His vision is real, and he is efficient enough to keep the offense moving.
Against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 28, he handled primary backup point guard duties and finished with six assists and just one turnover. That kind of decision-making is exactly why the Pacers trust him when the ball is in his hands.
He is not a pass-first guard, and he does not need to be. His athleticism and energy make him a natural downhill threat, and that is where he does a lot of his damage.
Still, the ability to make quick reads and keep the ball humming around the floor gives Indiana something extra. It is also a big part of why fans have long wanted him to get a larger role and a standard contract.
Jackson is probably never going to be an All-Star, but that does not make his impact any less real. He has been too good for too long to be treated like a temporary fix.
Yes, some of the numbers have come in losses. Indiana is 2-5 this season, and the Pacers lost all three games in which Jackson scored in double figures. But that does not erase what he brings to the team.
He already had a career year last season, when he averaged 9.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists while shooting 47/35.6/82.4% in 18.3 minutes across 49 games. That came during a season when Haliburton missed the entire year and McConnell and Nembhard also missed plenty of time.
Jackson stepped up then, too. One example came on Nov. 1, when he posted 25 points and 10 assists against the Golden State Warriors to help Indiana get its first win of the regular season, and last one in 2025.
He also finally moved beyond two-way contract status, something fans had been pushing for because he was too talented and too athletic to stay in the G League. That argument has only aged better with time.
Jackson is playing at a high level right now, but this is not a sudden breakthrough out of nowhere. He has shown this before. The Pacers know what they have, and if they can get back on track, he looks ready to remain a meaningful part of what they do.
In Other News...
Cavs Injury Absence Opened The Door For A Rookie Who Delivered
The Pacers injury situation has already pushed them into some unusual territory, and the latest game against the Hawks only underscored how thin the margin has become. Indiana dressed just six healthy players, a stretch that marked the earliest point in a season since 1948 that a team had to rely on six or fewer, and Jarace Walker ended up carrying the heaviest load with 45 minutes on the floor.
Rick Carlisle praised the effort anyway, even in defeat, because the group had little choice but to keep grinding through it. The broader injury picture around the league only adds to the context, with Peyton Watson sidelined by hamstring tightness and Nic Claxton inching toward a season debut, but for Indiana the immediate focus remains on simply getting enough bodies back to make these nights more manageable. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Injury Crisis Just Hit A Historic Low In Atlanta
The Pacers injury situation reached a brutal new level in Atlanta, where they were forced to play with only six available players because 11 were sidelined. Even in a league that has seen its share of depleted lineups, that kind of shortage leaves little margin for error, and Indiana still managed to stay in the game before falling 108-104 to the Hawks.
Jay Huff led the way with 22 points, but the bigger concern is how long this patchwork rotation may have to hold together. Tyrese Haliburton is expected to miss about two weeks with a left hamstring strain, and Ivica Zubac remains out with a left ankle injury, leaving the Pacers to keep piecing together answers while the injury list keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]
Braden Smith Just Gave Pacers Fans A Reason To Pay Attention
The early-season rookie spotlight has already started to shift, and Braden Smith has put himself right in the middle of it. In the Nov. 2 slate, the first-year guard turned in one of the most eye-catching performances among the leagues newcomers, giving Pacers fans a fresh reason to keep tabs on how this class is developing. For a team always looking for young talent to pop, it was the kind of night that stands out even in a crowded field of first-year standouts.
Smith was part of a broader wave of rookies making noise across the league, with several first-round names and second-round picks turning in strong box scores against a variety of opponents. But for Indiana, the attention naturally narrows to how Smiths play fits into the bigger picture, especially when a rookie guard starts showing the kind of production that gets noticed beyond just one game. The next question is whether this was a one-night surge or the start of something more meaningful for the Pacers. [Read more 🡒]