Autumn Allison

autumn.allison@indystar.com

Injury after injury has left the Indiana Pacers exactly where no team wants to be heading into regular season opener: in flux.

"We can't worry about the continuity and the combinations that you are going to try and use. It's just not a luxury we have this year," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said.

Currently four Pacers are questionable for Wednesday night's home opener: starters David West (ankle), George Hill (knee contusion) and Rodney Stuckey (foot soreness), and backup guard C.J. Watson (foot soreness). Vogel will likely be relying heavily on the bench.

"I have a feel on how we are going to play with this group and, obviously, each player who comes into the lineup or is removed from the lineup with injury, you adjust slightly. It's next man up. We are going to have five guys on the court for 48 minutes and those guys have got to go win a game."

And that next man up just might be forward Chris Copeland.

The University of Colorado alum can play both the three and four, though he's had more success recently at small forward. That versatility has led to Copeland's name continually being thrown into the conversation for more court time and a higher ranking on the club's depth chart.

While Copeland only averaged six-and-a-half minutes with no starts in 41 appearances last season for Indiana, he has had ample minutes and solid showings this preseason.

After a rough outing against the Magic where Copeland did not make a shot and floundered defensively, the fan-favorite found an offensive rhythm and had four straight games of double-digit points, including his team leading 22 points in the Oct. 18 Dallas Mavericks game.

Copeland averaged 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during preseason. In the regular season last year he averaged just 3.7 points, 0.8 rebounds and 0.4 assists.

So what was the different between last season and the start of the 2014-2015 season? Apparently not much. Copeland said he has taken the same approach as at the end of last year: "Just staying ready and trying to do whatever coach has asked," he said.

His reputation for being deadly behind the arc would provide a needed scoring option for the Pacers given the loss of Lance Stephenson (free agency) and Paul George (broken leg). But Vogel only started Copeland after the injuries hit in the preseason.

Lack of starts aside, however, Copeland's minutes in preseason make a good case for increased playing time this season.

"We'll have to see how it goes. For me I take it on a day-to-day basis," Copeland said. "I played in the preseason and that's a good thing, but we'll just see how the season goes."

Vogel said that all injured players will be reevaluated and might have a status update following practice Monday.

"You have to deal with injuries and continue to battle regardless," said Copeland. "We have enough guys in the locker room to get the job done. Of course we have to keep fighting and are going to miss the guys that are out. But I think we can get the job done."

Follow Star reporter Autumn Allison on Twitter: @Aallison25.