Rick Carlisle’s injury news to Aaron Nesmith is small comfort in a season of nightmares

Rick Carlisle and the Indiana Pacers received good news and bad news, regarding Aaron Nesmith’s knee injury, adding to the laundry list of shortstops for the defending Eastern Conference champions. After losing Tyrese Halliburton for the season, Ben Mathurin (finger) has been sidelined since October, the same month Obi Taupin’s surgery was announced. The The Pacers got the hardship signing in the midst of injuries.

However, there is good news for Nesmith and the Pacers he avoided long-term injurybut he will miss time, Carlisle said, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after Thursday’s 133-98 loss to the Suns that Nesmith (knee) avoided serious injury but will miss some time, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star reports.

Aaron Nesmith joins a long list of injuries for the Pacers, including their dwindling backcourt playing without Johnny Furfee with a sprained left ankle, Cam Jones with a back injury and Quenton Jackson out with a hamstring injury.

With five rotation players sidelined for extended periods of time, the Pacers took advantage of their struggles to sign Jeremy Robinson-Earl, bringing Indiana’s active roster to 11 players.

Pascal Siakam is a brutally honest look at the Pacers’ torturous season

All-Star Pascal Siakam described the Pacers’ situation as almost ridiculousgiven their absurd amount of injuries. There’s no doubt that the 1-11 Pacers are tied with the Wizards for the worst record in the NBA. In a heartbreaking 117-115 loss to the Bucks last Monday, their last win in a game that came down to the wire, All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo sent the game-winning shot home with another loss.

After the game, Siakam was transparent about the Pacers’ trying season during his postgame media availability, as Indianapolis’ Dustin Dopirak noted.

“It’s almost funny. But it’s not funny,” Siakam said. “You want to feel good about the effort, but the result isn’t there. It’s a tough, tough time for us as a team. We just have to keep going. … It’s hard to be positive, but we have to.”

Thursday’s 133-98 loss to the Suns extended the Pacers’ losing streak to six.