The New York Knicks started dropping like flies by the end of the series, but when the Indiana Pacers took them down in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, they were missing one their best players as well.
That same person —2022 No. 6 pick Bennedict Mathurin —was absent from the roll call the next series. That’s not to say that a healthy Mathurin (and Tyrese Haliburton) would’ve led them past the Boston Celtics. But considering how tough the Pacers played the Celtics, they might not have been swept, at least. So, while Mathurin was on the sidelines nursing a torn right shoulder, they would’ve much rather had him on the battlefield.
Pacers’ Rick Carlisle Sees Star Potential In Bennedict Mathurin
Indeed, asked about Mathurin after their Conference Finals loss, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle says Mathurin “has a chance to be a star caliber player…”
“He has gotten to see over the last (two and a half) months what wins,” Carlisle adds, per The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirack. “It is defense, speed, quick decision-making and recognition.”
“And so his workouts this summer are going to be geared toward fast, efficient, quick decision making and developing defensively. He has the ability to be a terrific two-way player in this league.”
These comments are notable, as they’ve Mathurin’s most glaring weaknesses.
After the 2024 All-Star Break, he improved in each area, playing a more team-oriented style. This led to a boost in his productivity but, more importantly, it put him on solid ground. Up to that point, there were questions about just how long he’d stay with the Pacers. His isolation-heavy style didn’t fit with their ball-movement. His defensive shortcomings were magnified by those of his teammates.
However, Mathurin was only healthy for seven games after the All-Star Break. In one, he played through the injury that would soon end his season. That being said, the same competitive fire that helped him to fight through the pain, is what he believes aided the perception of him being a bad teammate.
Changing The Narrative
If there’s a silver lining to Mathurin’s injury, it’s that it motivated him. Not just to make it back to the NBA Playoffs so that he can be a part of it either. It gave Mathurin an opportunity to truly bond with his teammates off-court and see what they needed on it. His injury inspired him to fit in with the group, not just focus on standing out.
“It wasn’t easy for me,” Mathurin admits. “… I wish I would come in and be the best player but it’s obviously not going to be as smooth as I want it to be.”
Will He Be a Star In Indiana?
Mathurin’s talent alone may make him the Pacers’ best scorer. Indeed, he scored 25.0 points per game in 2023-24 when taking at least 15 field goal attempts. For reference, the highest scoring average on the team belonged to Pascal Siakam (21.3 points per game) last season.
However, Siakam and Myles Turner have had more success playing off of Haliburton, their primary playmaker. In the 2023-24 regular season, a team-high 17.3 percent of his passes went to Turner, who converted 49.8 percent of his shots with Haliburton assisting. Another 12.0 percent were doled out for Siakam, who made 49.6 percent of his attempts off of a Haliburton pass. Just 7.7 percent, seventh on the team, went to Mathurin. Even worse, he only made 36.4 percent of his shots when Haliburton made the pass.
To that point, if Mathurin wants to reach his potential while with the Pacers, it starts by making better and faster reads. Nonetheless, he also needs to learn how to play off of Haliburton, the face of the franchise. If not, he may have to pull a Haliburton, breaking out as a star on another team.
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