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Rodney Stuckey Injury Illuminates Playing Time Concerns for Tired Pacers

By Jared Wade

Mar 12, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) reacts after falling while forward David West (21) reacts and Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) watches at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Milwaukee 109-103 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers guard George Hill (3) reacts after falling while forward David West (21) reacts and Milwaukee Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams (5) watches at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana defeats Milwaukee 109-103 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rodney Stuckey has missed the last two Indiana Pacers games with a calf injury and he will sit out again tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that will affect both teams’ chances of making the playoffs. This is especially harmful to the Pacers since the team just played last night in Washington before flying to Milwaukee, and the players will be tired.

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The back court in particular could use some help. George Hill — who scored 10 of his team’s final 15 points last night, including a game-winning layup — played a season-high 43 minutes in the win. And this came off his prior season-high of 36 minutes against the Houston Rockets on Monday. Generally, Hill has been a bit tired of late and a hard fall and some other bumps have had him beat up of late. And given his 35 minutes per game average over the past seven games, it’s unlikely he will be able to put the team on his back again tonight.

David West, too, has looked exhausted of late.

His recent minute counts don’t seem as problematic as George Hill’s, but he did play the first 10 minutes of the game last night. Same goes for the opening 10 minutes in the Houston game, during which he also played all but 30 seconds of the third quarter . He looks like he could really use a night off, and it can’t be helping that coach Frank Vogel continues to lean on him for such long stints. He’s pushing 35 years old, and back to backs, especially at this stage of the season, probably aren’t going to be the times when he can find a fountain of youth.

Vogel clearly is trying to give West more rest. His 27 minute-per-game average in March is his lowest in any month so far this season, but so is his 44.6% overall field goal percentage, which includes an atrocious 42.1% inside of 8 feet. His jumper has remained strong of late (49.2% from 16 to 24 feet in March). But when I watch him try to work in the paint — especially after he has already been out there battling for more than 6 straight minutes — I see a guy who is struggling to make precise movements and use his body to gain the leverage that traditionally has been so easy for him to achieve and exploit for points.

In my view, Vogel needs to cut West’s stints to around 8 minutes unless he is really cooking. Luis Scola has been slumping a bit of late, but the Argentine has generally produced since February started, and Lavoy Allen’s high-level play last night shows that things won’t completely fall apart is West doesn’t play the first 10 minutes of a game.

Of course, all this is easier said than done when key guys like Stuckey keep missing games and you’re coaching a team that needs every win possible from here on out to make the playoffs.

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