The Indiana Pacers' point guard concerns just became even worse during their preseason opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves after guards T.J. McConnell (sore hamstring) and Delon Wright (head) exited early. Indiana already had a major point guard problem with Tyrese Haliburton set to miss the entire season due to an Achilles injury, and things are getting worse before they get better.
As it stands, it remains to be seen exactly how severe each guard's injuries are. However, it should be noted that McConnell limped off the court and was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Given that the Pittsburgh native has somewhat of a history with hamstring injuries, having missed a few games during the 2023-24 season because of one, this could be a concern for him and the Pacers as they head into the regular season.
Injury Update: T.J. McConnell (sore left hamstring) will not return to tonight’s game in Minnesota.
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 8, 2025
As for Wright, he suffered a head injury after a collision with Jaylen Clark, was bleeding out of his mouth, and was down for a long time. Fortunately, he was able to get up with some help, but this is not an injury he or Indiana should take lightly, and it would make sense for the team to play it as cautiously as possible.
The Pacers are already going to be without their star point guard this season, leaving many questions that the team must answer about the position. Unfortunately for the team, the concerns they already had may have just grown, and the season has not even started yet.
The Pacers' point guard problem may persist the entire season
With Haliburton on the shelf, the Pacers are sliding Andrew Nembhard to the point guard role full-time. This can work, but it is far from ideal, and Indiana now has a major depth problem at the position.
Heading into this season, McConnell is going to be more important than ever. While his role as Indiana's backup point guard will not change, he is still going to be tasked with taking some of the pressure off of Nembhard, who may already have too much on his plate to begin with.
McConnell is arguably the best backup point guard in the NBA, but he is 33 years old. His minutes should not see much of an increase, and that is why having a third point guard in the depth chart is crucial for the team. This is where Wright, who signed a training camp contract with the Pacers in September, potentially comes into play.
Wright is a veteran point guard who has been in the league since 2015 and can provide value in Indiana on the defensive side of the ball. Additionally, his ability to play both guard positions makes him versatile, which makes him even more of a possible contributor for the Pacers.
Depending on the severity of McConnell and Wright's injuries, the Pacers may be without one or both of them heading into the regular season. At the very least, if they are available (and in Wright's case, on the roster to begin with), it could make sense for Indiana to limit their minutes a little bit to not re-aggravate anything.
The Pacers have options to fix their point guard problem
At this point, a lot of eyes will be on rookie guard Kam Jones. The Marquette alum looked solid in summer league, averaging 13.5 points on 48.8% shooting from the field, 3.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals in four games. However, at 6-foot-4, it still remains to be seen exactly which guard position he will play, and that could make it difficult for Indiana to put a lot of trust in him right away to back up Nembhard.
The Pacers also have two other intriguing options if they are looking to add some reinforcements in Quenton Jackson and RayJ Dennis.
Both guards have shown flashes during their brief run in Indiana, and it is clear that the team likes them enough as they are both on two-way contracts heading into the season. They will each be worth monitoring if McConnell's injury is severe enough to keep him on the sidelines for a bit.
RayJ Dennis led the way in tonight’s win in Minnesota 👏 pic.twitter.com/OmyPA5Sl9c
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 8, 2025
As the Pacers look to navigate through a life without Haliburton, they have a lot of problems at point guard to solve. Unfortunately for them, what was already a difficult task just became even tougher, and this might not bode well for their success this season.