Indiana Pacers: What to watch out for in the NBA All-Star weekend

For the first time in quite a while, the Indiana Pacers will not be represented in the NBA All-Star Game, which is fair considering how the team has fared this season. Still, Pacers fans should have something to root for in the much-awaited festivities.

Last season, the Pacers were represented by now-Kings center Domantas Sabonis in the All-Star Game while then-rookie Cassius Stanley, now with Detroit’s G-League affiliate, donned the team’s colors in the Slam Dunk Contest.

What should Indiana Pacers fans look forward to in the NBA All-Star Weekend?

The Pacers will also not have a candidate for the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Shootout, and Slam Dunk Contest, but they do have Tyrese Haliburton who will participate in the Rising Stars Challenge.

He will be with Team Isiah Thomas alongside Toronto’s Precious Achiuwa, Memphis’ Desmond Bane, Detroit’s Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, and G-League Ignite invitee Jaden Hardy. Haliburton and co. look poised to be a favorite to come out on top in the event.

Rookie Chris Duarte was also tabbed for the Rising Stars game, but he will be sidelined for the event with a toe injury. He will now be replaced by Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga on Team Gary Payton.

Even the more sentimental (and forgiving) fans would have a tough time trying to find some Pacers flavor in the All-Star weekend. The recently traded Domantas Sabonis was not named an All-Star for the first time in three years, while former franchise star Paul George has been out for quite a long time with the LA Clippers and will miss the games as well. In addition, former Indiana All-Star Victor Oladipo, who repped the Pacers in 2018 and 2019, is yet to make his season debut for the Miami Heat with a quad injury.

While the Indiana Pacers will be underrepresented in the All-Star festivities, in the grand scheme of things, this may eventually prove to be beneficial for the team as the players will have even more time to recuperate from nagging ailments as they approach the final quarter of the season.