The Indiana Pacers have managed to start the 2022-23 NBA season 4-5. While it’s not the most flashy record in the world, it’s respectable for a team that was expected to spend this year competing for ping pong balls in the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery. But unfortunately for the Pacers, one member of the rotation will head to the sideline for the next few weeks.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, second-year guard Chris Duarte suffered a high ankle sprain that is expected to keep him out for the next 4-6 weeks.
Pacers guard Chris Duarte has suffered a Grade 2 ankle sprain and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 5, 2022
Duarte rolled his ankle early on in Indiana’s game against the Miami Heat on Friday night when he landed on Kyle Lowry while trying to contest a layup.
Informa @wojespn que el dominicano Chris Duarte tiene un esguince de tobillo de grado 2 y se espera que pierda de 4-6 semanas.
Esperamos pronta recuperación para @C_Duarte5
Duarte cayó encima del pie Kyle Lowry en esta jugada. pic.twitter.com/Dkx7Fke3GU
— Erick José Lantigua (@EJLantigua) November 5, 2022
The Pacers took Duarte, an older prospect out of the University of Oregon, with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. While the team struggled last year, Duarte was a bright spot, as he earned All-Rookie Second Team honors and looked like a player the team could build around going forward.
So far this season, Duarte has appeared in all nine games with five of them coming as part of the starting lineup. He’s averaged 8.9 points in 19.7 minutes per game while connecting on 34.2 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point line.