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After a productive first two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, guard Rodney Stuckey just cannot seem to catch a break with injuries that have lingered on the 30-year-old veteran for almost the entirety of the 2016-17 season.
After returning from a 20-game absence due to a hamstring injury on Wednesday, Stuckey’s run of bad luck continued as he will reportedly not suit up on Friday when the Pacers take on the Brooklyn Nets. The news comes via the Pacers’ official Twitter account.
The injury news is a big blow to a Pacers team that could use all of the help off of the bench that they can get. The Pacers’ bench currently ranks ninth in the NBA, averaging 33.4 points, 17.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per contest. When fully healthy, Stuckey has carried his own weight and been one of the team’s best role-players.
After singing a three-year, $21-million contract prior to the 2015-16 campaign, the Pacers need Stuckey at full strength, and cannot afford to pay roughly $7-million per-year on someone who has struggled mightily to stay off of the injury report.
Out of a possible 246 games that the Pacers have played with Stuckey under contract, he has appeared in 147 of those games — starting in just 37 of those outings. Having seen action in just 18 games this season, the team can only hope that Stuckey can eventually shake off the injury bug and help produce for a team that has playoff aspirations.
At 26-22, the Pacers currently sit at No. 6 in the Eastern Conference as the NBA season reaches its halfway point. The Pacers will take on the Brooklyn Nets (9-40) in an away bout this Friday, at 7:30 pm, ET.