Pacers Roll Out a Chaotic Starting Five That Scrambles the Math

The Indiana Pacers are rolling out a starting five on Friday that looks like it was drawn out of a hat by a panicked substitute teacher. According to Underdog NBA, Indiana will start Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Kelly Oubre Jr., Pascal Siakam, and Jay Huff.

Yes, Jay Huff is anchoring an NBA paint in the year of our Lord 2026. With Tyrese Haliburton sidelined by a hamstring injury that just blew a tire on the offense, the Pacers are officially getting weird.

"Underdog NBA tweeted: 'Lineup alert: Pacers will start Nembhard, Nesmith, Oubre, Siakam, Huff on Friday.'"

Indiana is sitting at an uninspiring 2-2 after dropping back-to-back games, including a 110-102 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks and a 114-109 defeat against the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, they are trying to stop the bleeding with a lineup that features Siakam as the lone reliable engine and Oubre bringing his usual brand of chaotic, high-volume energy to the wing.

For anyone staring at a prop sheet, this completely scrambles the math. Siakam is going to have to carry a usage rate that might actually break his back, while Huff suddenly becomes the most fascinating rebounding variable on the board. Fantasy managers are probably sprinting to the waiver wire right now just to see what happens.

Nembhard is now tasked with steering a ship with some very unfamiliar rigging. He is already logging nearly 33 minutes a night this season, but running an offense without Haliburton's gravity is a completely different job description.

We will see if this makeshift unit can find any rhythm when they head south to face the Miami Heat. If Huff holds his own, Indiana might have a bizarre new rotation wrinkle to play with. If not, expect another frantic lineup alert before the weekend is over.