Indiana Pacers forward T.J. Warren might not be ready for the start of the season.
The team announced Thursday Warren was “week-to-week” with plantar fasciitis, placing his status for the Pacers' opener in doubt.
Injury Update: T.J. Warren will be week-to-week due to right foot plantar fasciitis. Also, Brian Bowen II (groin) will be out an estimated six to eight weeks.https://t.co/KLoE1U03tW
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) December 10, 2020
Warren was one of the darlings of the NBA restart.
The former NC State star had some of the most prolific offensive performances in the bubble. He scored 53 points in the team's first seeding game, and surpassed the 30-point threshold three other times.
However, the playoffs were a different story. The Miami Heat sought to harass Warren every time he touched the ball, forcing him to give it up and making his teammates create offense. Warren still scored 20 or more points three times, but the Heat cruised to a four-game sweep.
Still, Warren's performance was an encouraging development for Indiana.
The Pacers had acquired the 27-year-old from the Phoenix Suns on draft night in 2019, in part because the Suns wanted to clear cap space. It was one of the strangest moves from a team well accustomed to oddities, but the trade paid dividends for the Pacers.
Warren averaged 19.8 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting over 40 percent from beyond the arc. He gave the Pacers a vital scoring presence and some inside-out balance in the frontcourt.
Indiana ultimately stood pat this offseason after a run at Gordon Hayward and trade rumors involving Victor Oladipo and Myles Turner. The Pacers will run it back with mostly the same roster, hoping new head coach Nate Bjorkgren can maximize the team's potential.
Bjorkgren might be at an early deficit if plantar fasciitis prolongs Warren's absence.
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