By Jordan Long
The Indiana Pacers are 33-24, 6th in the Eastern Conference despite losing 7 of their last 9 games. The Pacers will have to make a playoff push without one of their top players, Jeremy Lamb. He is going to miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs with a torn ACL and meniscus in his left leg.
Lamb appeared in 46 games this year and 42 of them as the starter at shooting guard. Lamb isn’t the best scorer on the team but averages 12.5 points per game. When Lamb is open beyond the arc for a 3 pointer, he will make them. His 3-point percentage is 33.5%. When it comes to free throws, Lamb shoots 83.6%.
On defense, he creates fast break chances for the Pacers with his ability to steal and rebound. Lamb corners the player he is defending which allows him to steal the ball 1.2 times per game. On the glass, Lamb grabs 3.8 rebounds on the defensive end. All these opportunities give the Pacers chances to add to their lead or come back into games.
Lamb was hurt on Sunday during their largest defeat of the season losing to the Toronto Raptors, 127-81. With 9:54 left in the 2nd quarter, Lamb was part of a fast break. TJ McConnell found Lamb open and Lamb went up for a dunk. Unfortunately, he was fouled in mid-air by Raptors shooting guard Terence Davis who tried to prevent an easy bucket. Lamb fell awkwardly on his left leg and according to CBSsports.com, it was bent the wrong way. Somehow, Lamb stayed in to shoot his free throws but was taken out of the game after making both of them.
The Pacers were hoping for better news on Lamb, but it turned out to be the worst-case scenario. The Pacers have 25 games plus the playoffs. They will miss his presence on and off the court. The Pacers need to fill his void which will not be easy to do because of his talent on both sides of the court. Indiana should still make the playoffs, but winning a 1st round series or even a game might be a tall task without Lamb.
Leave a Reply