Daniel Theis nearing a return from injury, his Pacers debut in sight — get to know the German center
Theis discusses the business of basketball, playing for Germany in EuroBasket, joining the Pacers and helping the younger guys.
Daniel Theis officially became a member of the Pacers back on July 9, but he never suited up in a game for them in 2022 due to a knee injury.
Now, one month into 2023, he is expected to make his Pacers debut soon, Fieldhouse Files has learned.
I’m told the target date for his return to game action is next Thursday, at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. That will be exactly 12 weeks after he underwent a minor procedure on his right knee “to address persistent soreness,” according to the team.
It’s their first game of a home-friendly stretch with seven of nine games at home, including three in a row. And it comes after they will have played six of the eight games away from Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
There are still a few things to be ironed out, like how much he plays and what his role will look like with an already crowd frontcourt. But both the Pacers and Theis are excited to see how he can contribute off the bench.
After playing in Memphis on Sunday, the Pacers will then have an unusual stretch of three days between games. That enables Theis to get at least two more practices in with the group. Earlier this week, he participated in practice and then played 5-on-0 afterward.
Back on Jan. 10, head coach Rick Carlisle said Theis had been cleared for light activities with the team and that there was no set timeline to return.