Monta Ellis Injury Update: Pacers G Out at Least 2 More Weeks with Injured Groin

The Indiana Pacers' quest to reach the postseason again hit a snag Thursday when the team announced Monta Ellis will be out an extended period as he continues to nurse a groin injury.  

According to the Indianapolis Star's Nate Taylor, Ellis will miss at least two more weeks before the team re-evaluates him. Ellis has not suited up since Dec. 10 due to the nagging groin issue. 

Rotoworld's Michael Gallagher noted Ellis' injury woes serve as a stark contrast to his previously unblemished medical history: 

The Pacers remade their roster last offseason in an attempt to develop a more uptempo offense. The approach did yield some positive results, as they ranked 13th in scoring in 2015-16 after finishing no higher than 20th in the previous three years.

Ellis was one of the key pieces of the revamping, despite struggling to find consistency with his shot, converting on 42.7 percent of his attempts from the field in the regular season. 

Surprisingly, the 31-year-old was exponentially more valuable on defense than on offense, with Basketball-Reference.com crediting him with 3.9 win shares on that side of the ball.

So far this season, Ellis is averaging 9.7 points and 3.7 assists per game on 43.3 percent shooting from the field and 30.0 percent shooting from beyond the arc. 

The Pacers are in the bottom of that second tier of Eastern Conference teams, and they are breaking in a new system with head coach Nate McMillan. Ellis' absence will give the team a chance to see what Rodney Stuckey, C.J. Miles and Glenn Robinson III can do with extended work.