The Indiana Pacers are coming off a 115-104 win over the Charlotte Hornets. They managed to improve their regular season record to 23-14 and that puts them at sixth in the Eastern Conference standings.
In a post-game conversation with ClutchPoints' Jerry Donatien, TJ Warren expressed his belief that the Pacers could be a “scary” team when they get both Malcolm Brogdon and Victor Oladipo in their lineup.
TJ Warren on the Pacers once Malcolm Brogdon, Victor Oladipo return – "Oh, we’re gonna mesh very well. Malcolm and Vic, when they get back, get back in rhythm, it’s gonna be scary come April so we’re excited. We just gotta keep getting better every day. "
— Pacers Nation (@PacersNationCP) January 7, 2020
The Pacers won't have to wait long to get Brogdon back into their lineup as there is a chance that he will play on Wednesday. He did not participate in Indiana's practice in the live portion of practice on Tuesday but will be a game-time decision against the Miami Heat.
There is still no timetable for Oladipo's return and that is concerning. During the summer, the Pacers advertised an expected December or January return for the two-time All-Star, but it's early January and there isn't even a timetable yet.
The expectation for Oladipo is that he will be on a minutes restriction when he starts playing in games again. It's unlikely that he will hit the ground running when he is back either and there will be a real need for a unit that features many score-first players to adjust collectively. If he is unable to return until sometime after the All-Star break, there won't be too much time for him to work his way back.
An additional factor to take into consideration is that Brogdon has struggled to stay healthy this season and throughout his career. There is no guarantee that the Pacers will be able to have their starting backcourt both healthy and in rhythm come playoff time given the circumstances.
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