NBA Notes: Pacers, Andrew Nembhard, Mavericks, D’Angelo Russell, Bulls

Pacers

The Pacers can’t catch a break at point guard.

Andrew Nembhard left Thursday’s opener against Oklahoma City with left shoulder soreness and didn’t return — another blow for a team already decimated in the backcourt.

Tyrese Haliburton is out for the year with a torn Achilles, T.J. McConnell remains sidelined with a hamstring strain, and rookie Kam Jones (back) and Quenton Jackson (hamstring) are both banged up.

Ben Sheppard, who barely played in the preseason, started the second half in Nembhard’s place, while second-rounder Taelon Peter also got run, as relayed by The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak.

Indiana thought it had veteran Monte Morris lined up for depth, but he hurt his calf before camp.

The Pacers pivoted to Delon Wright — only for him to take two nasty hits in the preseason opener, one requiring 10 stitches above his right eye. He was waived soon after.

Now, it’s back to patchwork. Nembhard averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 assists last season, so losing him for any stretch would sting.

The Pacers have heart, but right now, they’re running out of healthy point guards.

Mavericks

Jason Kidd is rolling out one of the biggest lineups you’ll see, and he’s not backing down from it.

Cooper Flagg started at point guard next to Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Anthony Davis in Wednesday’s opener. The group played only six minutes together because of foul trouble but looked solid in that short burst, The Dallas Morning News’ Mike Curtis noted.

“It changes the dynamics of the rotation,” Kidd said. “We gotta look at Game 2 if we can stay out of foul trouble.”

Meanwhile, D’Angelo Russell is taking his new role in stride. Expected to start while Kyrie Irving rehabs from ACL surgery, Russell instead came off the bench and didn’t complain.

“Be a basketball player whenever I get in,” he said, via Dallas Hoops Journal’s Grant Afseth. “It’s about winning and finishing games. That’s the goal.”

Kidd echoed that sentiment: “We’re not labeling him as a sixth man. He’s going to get enough minutes to help us win.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Gafford could return Friday against Washington after missing all of preseason with an ankle sprain. Kidd said the big man’s been ramping up and looked good in Thursday’s drills.

Bulls

Nikola Vucevic isn’t ready to hand over the spotlight just yet.

While much of the talk around Chicago has been about second-year man Matas Buzelis, it was the 35-year-old center who powered the Bulls to a win over Detroit with 28 points and 14 rebounds, The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi wrote.

Julia Poe of The Chicago Tribune noted that first-rounder Noa Essengue didn’t see the floor, while veteran guards carried most of the load.

And in a separate Tribune column, Paul Sullivan argued the Bulls could surprise people — maybe even win 44 games — if they clean up their home record, handle divisional opponents better, and start doing “the little things that win games.”

If opening night was any indication, they’ve already checked one of those boxes.