Glenn Robinson III will miss at least the next two weeks after he suffered a left calf strain during practice on Thursday.
Glenn Robinson III has averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season. [Frank McGrath]
Pacers head coach Nate McMillan made the announcement prior to the team’s 125-117 home loss to the Denver Nuggets Friday night.
The Pacers have hit the final stretch of the regular season and can’t afford for guys to miss time. They are 36-36 with 10 games left, half of them to be played at home.
Robinson III, the 2016 Slam Dunk king, has averaged 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds this season playing 20.7 minutes off the bench. Coach McMillan played him just six minutes in Wednesday’s loss at Boston.
That pushed Rodney Stuckey back into the rotation. I’m told that one week ago, the veteran approached McMillan and expressed how he felt it was in the best interest of the team for him to move back to his natural wing spot rather than play backup point guard.
It’s not the first time in Indiana that Stuckey has gone to the head coach and been willing to take a step back. Two years ago, again in March, he told Frank Vogel that he felt it would be best for him to come off the bench.
Stuckey’s season has not been what he had hoped for during training camp. He was excited after the first few days. He said then that he was feeling the best that he had in years after changing his diet and taken up yoga.
But a right hamstring strain sidelined him for 10 of the first 12 games, and then 20 more due to a sore left hamstring. In all, he sat out 32 games this season due to injury. (They are 19-13 without him.) Three Pacers have missed eight games each because of injuries.
“Injury again has forced us to make adjustments,” McMillan said.
Since two hamstring strains and a right ankle sprain, the 30-year-old hasn’t been able to get in a groove. In March he’s averaging 2.7 points, 2.7 assists per game.
When asked about his play and role this season after Friday’s loss, he took the high road and was happy to be healthy enough to play again.
“I’m good, man. Willing to do whatever it takes for this team.”
Robinson III will be re-evaluated in two weeks and if he’s cleared to return around then, he could contribute for their final push to the playoffs. They would have three games left in the regular season: at Orlando, at Philadelphia, and a home finale against Atlanta.