Key Takeaways

• For the Pacers, the ninth-man role remained unsettled, with outlier options like Jalen Slawson or Jay Huff considered, but the choice largely centered on Walker and Sheppard, two 2023 first-round picks.
• In the opener vs. New Orleans, Nesmith was out with a hamstring issue, creating an opportunity for the two forwards to help offset the absence of a primary scorer.
• Walker’s line read three points on 1-for-6 shooting, with zero made threes, and he committed four turnovers to two assists, though he did pull down six rebounds, third-most on the team.
• Sheppard finished with three points and minimal impact beyond solid defense, failing to convert in counting stats or advanced metrics.
• A prior 10-assist, zero-turnover preseason game had raised expectations, but the regular-season showing tempered the optimism and highlighted the difficulty of extrapolating preseason form.
• The narrative ties their current struggles to the team’s broader depth reliance on their performances, suggesting this could be their last meaningful chance to prove they belong in a longer-term rotation.
• If they don’t rebound quickly, the Pacers may continue to lean on other options or divide the minutes between younger players and veterans as they rebuild their roster.