T.J. McConnell's Hamstring Saga Continues as Pacers Rule Him Out Monday
Underdog NBA reported: 'TJ McConnell (hamstring) listed out Monday.'
The are officially keeping T.J. McConnell on the shelf for Monday night's game, citing the exact same hamstring issue that has basically become his shadow. If you were hoping to see the league's most chaotic backup point guard make his season debut, you are going to have to keep waiting.
Underdog NBA confirmed the downgrade on Monday afternoon, officially ruling him out. For fantasy managers and prop bettors, this means you can safely scrub his name from your assist-market spreadsheets for at least one more slate.
This is not exactly a new plotline for the veteran guard. A quick glance at his medical chart shows that McConnell spent a massive chunk of the 2025-26 season battling this exact same hamstring strain. He was listed on the injury report for hamstring problems in October, December, February, and March of last year. At this point, his hamstring deserves its own locker in the ' facility.
When healthy, McConnell is the engine of the Indiana second unit. He is the guy who comes in, picks up opposing point guards full-court, and somehow snakes his way into the paint for eight assists and a handful of steals before anyone realizes what happened. Without him, the lose their primary change-of-pace weapon behind Tyrese Haliburton.
That leaves Indiana leaning heavier on their remaining backcourt rotation to keep the offense humming. Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard will likely continue soaking up the extra guard minutes, which is crucial context if you are looking at secondary props while the bench rotation is shortened.
There is currently no firm timeline for when McConnell will finally get clearance to make his 2026-27 debut. Until the provide a concrete update on his recovery, expect him to remain in street clothes while the rest of the Indiana backcourt carries the load.