Less than three minutes into the Indiana Pacers' season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, guard Andrew Nembhard got his left shoulder caught under the arm of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Not only was Nembhard whistled for his second foul, but he immediately clutched his left arm in pain.

Nembhard toughed it out for the rest of the half, but he was not available for the second half due to a sore left shoulder.

Now, the Pacers know Nembhard is going to miss some games.

The fourth-year guard was diagnosed with a left shoulder strain and ruled out for their second game of the season — Saturday in Memphis. It's the first game of a daunting stretch highlighted by seven of their next 11 games on the road, including this three-game road trip.

However, no timeline was shared by the team.

At the moment, the Pacers have no depth at point guard.

With four point guards sidelined, head coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged the tough road ahead.

“This is going to potentially present some big challenges,” he said.

Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles rehab) is out for the season, T.J. McConnell (left hamstring strain) is out at least a few more weeks, and Quenton Jackson (right hamstring strain) is beginning to ramp up for a return.

The Pacers' options at point guard now are Ben Sheppard, rookie Taelon Peter, and RayJ Dennis — the latter two being on two-way contracts.

And remember, Sheppard isn't 100%. He missed most of the preseason — appearing in just the final game — due to a calf strain suffered before training camp.

“We’re going to have to have an attitude of loving the challenge of how difficult the NBA is when you’re not whole," added Carlisle. "Especially right now, we’re down playmakers.”

Scott Agness is the longest-tenured Pacers beat reporter. He enters his 14th season covering the team and he's been around The Fieldhouse since 2003. He runs Fieldhouse Files — covering the Pacers, Boom, and Fever — and hosts "The Fieldhouse Files Podcast."

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