Preseason basketball isn’t supposed to hurt this much. But for the Indiana Pacers, Tuesday night in Minnesota carried an edge that felt a little too real. The Pacers found themselves juggling more than rotations or schemes, as they were now fighting something harder to control. A game that should’ve been routine turned into something entirely different, and suddenly, the focus wasn’t on the score anymore, but on T.J. McConnell. 

Veteran guard TJ McConnell limped off with a sore left hamstring. But that was just the beginning of the horror Indiana was going to face. Minutes later, newly signed Delon Wright exited with a nasty cut above his eye after a mid-court collision.

Two point guards, one night, and a team already missing its All-Star floor general. McConnell’s injury update came straight from the team’s PR feed, reporting that McConnell is out for the game with left hamstring soreness. It read like a standard preseason precaution. But context changes everything.

This is the same Pacers squad still adjusting to life without Tyrese Haliburton, who’s sidelined for the year with an Achilles tear suffered in last season’s Finals run—the same Pacers who watched Myles Turner leave for Milwaukee over the summer.

And suddenly, preseason games have become about survival because it’s hard to overstate what TJ McConnell means to this group, which still won by a point in a 135-134 clash against Minnesota on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old guard has built a career on determined energy and sharp instincts, which tilt games when starters rest. Last season, he averaged 9.1 points and 4.4 assists in just 20 minutes a night, leading the league in total assists off the bench. In the postseason? He did it again with 9.5 points, 4 assists per game, and a steadying presence that bridged Indiana’s second unit when Haliburton rested. His value was never about flash, but about rhythm. He gets Indiana organized.

He speeds them up when they lag and turns defensive rebounds into layups before the other team knows what hit them. And now, with Haliburton’s playmaking gone for the year, McConnell’s steady hand kept Indiana’s offense from short-circuiting. The Pacers hoped that Wright, signed for depth and defense, could help share that load. But even that plan took a hit.

In the second quarter, Wright’s head collided violently with Timberwolves forward Jaylen Clark, sending him tumbling to the floor and later to the locker room. He posted an Instagram Story afterward, writing, “Damn lol 😥.. 🙏🏽.”

Humor might have tried to mask it, but the timing was brutal. Behind the scenes, though, head coach Rick Carlisle has been working to build guard chemistry with Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin, both of whom are set for expanded roles.

With Haliburton already out, what TJ McConnell’s absence could mean for the Pacers

With McConnell and Wright both out, Quenton Jackson ran the point late in the game. That’s not an ideal preview of a season with more questions than answers. The ripple effect hits fast if McConnell’s hamstring keeps him sidelined beyond a game or two.

Nembhard, who’s more of a combo guard, will have to shoulder even more creation duties. The Pacers’ offense, built on pace and collective decision-making, risks slowing down. Without McConnell pushing tempo, possessions get longer, reads get harder, and turnovers become inevitable.

Indiana’s system depends on guard depth. When Haliburton orchestrates, McConnell supplements, and the offense hums. Without both, the playmaking hierarchy becomes thinner than it’s been in years. For a team that finished top five in assists last postseason, that’s not a minor concern.

Financially, McConnell is on a four-year, $44.8 million contract extension, a value contract by any measure. He’s a rare veteran who still feels indispensable to a rebuilding core.

If the hamstring injury lingers, and hamstrings love to linger, it could force Indiana’s front office to think differently about its guard rotation.

Could they explore the market for another veteran ballhandler? Or trust their development program and let Nembhard, Mathurin, and Sheppard figure it out through growing pains? Carlisle is known for his creativity, but this is a tough hand.

Haliburton’s injury already pushed the Pacers into identity-searching mode. Turner’s departure stripped away their interior anchor. Now, even short-term, losing McConnell threatens to erode what chemistry survived from last season’s Finals run. 

Yet, if there’s a silver lining, Indiana’s young guards will get real reps in high-pressure situations. Mathurin has especially shown flashes of becoming a lead scorer. Nembhard’s defensive instincts are elite. But running an NBA offense without a pure point guard is like driving a car without power steering, as it can still move, but every turn is a fight. So, what happens now?

The Pacers’ preseason just turned into a full-blown test of structure and depth. McConnell’s status will dictate how they navigate the season’s early weeks. And until he’s back, every possession will remind Indiana of how fragile their backcourt balance is.