James Wiseman replaces Isaiah Jackson as the Pacers’ starting center, making his season debut in Memphis one year after tearing his Achilles.
One game into the 2025-26 season and the Indiana Pacers are making a change to the starting lineup.
James Wiseman will start over Isaiah Jackson, as the Pacers play in Memphis Saturday evening (8 p.m. ET, FanDuel Sports Network Indiana).
Wiseman signed with the team before the 2024-25 season but tore his left Achilles tendon in the opener at Detroit. Now, 366 days later, he’ll start against the Grizzlies and face Jock Landale — along with a handful of Indy product Jaren Jackson Jr.
With Andrew Nembhard out due to a left shoulder strain, Ben Sheppard will start at point guard. The other three starters — Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, and Pascal Siakam — remain intact.
Johnny Furphy is also unavailable due to a sore left foot.
The Pacers have had stability at center for the last decade. At one point — during the 2022-23 season — they had a surplus, with six players at that position. They eventually bought out veteran Daniel Theis and waived former first-round pick Goga Bitadze.
The consistency at that position changed after two players, Wiseman and Jackson, suffered torn Achilles last season. Then in July, Myles Turner elected to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency — moving on from the Pacers after he was their first-round selection in 2015.
Since then, head coach Rick Carlisle has repeated several times that they would be OK, but would have to fill the void by committee at center. That group could include Jackson, Wiseman, Tony Bradley, or Jay Huff, who was acquired from Memphis in an offseason trade.
This is a return home for Wiseman. He graduated from high school in Memphis — he was named the Gatorade National Player of the Year — and then attended the University of Memphis for one year.
However, it is a surprise because Wiseman was the only Pacer on a standard contract who didn't see the court in Game 1. So this will be his first appearance of the season.
The Grizzlies are playing on the second night of a back-to-back. They were pounded at home Friday night by the Miami Heat, 146-114.
For the Pacers, this begins a stretch with seven of their next 11 games on the road — including three straight. With their point guard rotation thinned by injury, and questions still surrounding the center position, consistency will be a focus in the coming weeks.
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."