Pacers guard Ben Sheppard will be sidelined for at least several weeks after sustaining a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Sheppard was added to the injury report on Thursday with knee soreness. On Friday, a few hours before their home opener against the Dallas Mavericks, the Pacers updated his designation to a meniscus tear.
There’s no specific timetable for his return, and the Pacers have not announced whether Sheppard will require surgery.
A meniscectomy (removal) is more common than a repair, which Fever center Aliyah Boston recently underwent. A meniscectomy generally allows for a shorter recovery period. The type of procedure chosen depends largely on the type and location of the tear.
“Following a meniscectomy, players can often return to activity within six weeks,” according to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com. “Games lost due to meniscus injuries among NBA players is not dependent on which meniscus is damaged.”
Sheppard had three points and four fouls in 12 minutes in New Orleans on Wednesday in the Pacers’ season-opening win over the Pelicans.
He played five minutes, 31 seconds in the third quarter, but did not return in the fourth quarter. Quenton Jackson stepped up, playing 6:23 in the final frame.
“The hero of the game was Quenton Jackson, who came in and immediately there was a four-point swing in the second half,” head coach Rick Carlisle said postgame. “And then he earned his way into crunch time. That's what we need. We need guys playing their hearts out. Anything else isn't going to get us there.”
Elsewhere on the roster: Johnny Furphy is rehabbing a torn ACL, T.J. McConnell missed the entire preseason with a right hamstring strain, and Aaron Nesmith is on a minutes restriction because of a left hamstring strain. He was held out of the season opener.
Sheppard — the 26th overall pick in 2023 — appeared in 65 games last season, making 20 starts. He’s in the final season of his rookie contract.