While not many positives come from a sudden hiatus of the NBA season, some Indiana Pacers could use the extra rest that comes as a result.
With the season put on hold, there is not much positive for Indiana Pacers fans to grasp onto. Let’s change that perspective today a little bit, shall we?
The NBA world came to a stop nearly two weeks ago after Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, and the rest of American life shortly followed. Professional sports leagues were some of the first things to be suspended with the NBA leading the way.
For all teams, this is impactful. Whether your team was firmly out of the playoff race, a leader in the conference, or competing but still putting the pieces together much like the Pacers, not having sports to turn to on a nightly basis is a challenging reality we are all facing.
The Pacers, before the season was suspended, had some challeges staying healthy this year, something that was a known issue and theme heading into the season. Victor Oladipo suffered a season-ending injury last year that kept him out until 2020. He has appeared in just 13 games so far.
In total, the Pacers have missed about 175 man games throughout the year.
We could point to the negatives of no sports. It stinks! Sports are almost always there for us in times of societal struggle to find solace and reprieve in. These days, it’s not there. Players are going stir crazy, and we’re stuck inside to ponder the what-ifs of the 2019-20 season for now.
One of the only upsides of a suspended season is the rest that comes along with it. These Pacers are going to be the biggest beneficiaries of that.
There are more than the three mentioned — Jeremy Lamb is unfortunately out for the season following an ACL tear with other surrounding structural damage and will certainly benefit from rest, but given that he is out for the season, he isn’t mentioned — but these are the three biggest beneficiaries of unforeseen rest.