Nembhard and Siakam Are About to Carry a Lot of Weight

Ben Sheppard is heading into surgery for a torn meniscus. Tyrese Haliburton, back only briefly after his Achilles ordeal, has now strained his left hamstring and is expected out a couple of weeks. Indiana's backcourt situation, already thin coming into the season, is now genuinely short-handed.

The depth chart reflects what's left. Andrew Nembhard is the lead guard standing. Pascal Siakam anchors the forward group. Aaron Nesmith is the third guard on the depth chart — the same Nesmith who picked up a flagrant foul and a technical against Dallas four days ago. That's the group Rick Carlisle is working with while he waits for Haliburton to get healthy again.

The Sheppard news is the quieter of the two items but probably the more serious in terms of timeline. Surgery for a torn meniscus is a different kind of absence than a hamstring strain — that's weeks turning into months. Haliburton's return window is at least something to plan around. Sheppard's is not.

I wrote in August that the rest of the roster was another matter even when Haliburton was close to returning. That concern hasn't aged out. It's just more visible now.