Chase Budinger has missed the Pacers' first two preseason games with a sore right hamstring.

Budinger has missed the Pacers' first two preseason games with a sore right hamstring.

Analysis:

The injury has prevented Budinger from making much of a run at the starting small forward job, for which C.J. Miles appears the clear frontrunner. Injury issues have not been foreign to Budinger throughout his career, as the 67 games he played last season were his most since 2010-11. He'll be a key member of the Pacers' rotation once the hamstring issues subside, but it's a fairly safe bet to expect some malady to keep him sidelined for a stretch of action at some point during the regular season.