3 biggest takeaways from the Pacers’ preseason win over the Hornets

3 biggest takeaways from the Indiana Pacers’ drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets

3. Bennedict Mathurin may not ride the bench for too long

Rookie Bennedict Mathurin came off the bench in his first foray in the big league, but he definitely did not let his limited minutes besmear his debut, finishing the game with 15 points on 50 percent shooting as the de facto first option in the second unit.

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Mathurin’s debut had some rough edges, especially his struggle from three-point land (0-4), but he looked really comfortable functioning as the fulcrum of the bench’s offense. Furthermore, he looked pretty good defensively, and did not even flirt with making rookie mistakes.

If this keeps up, Mathurin could be a revelation for the Pacers even in his rookie season. And eventually, the coaching staff will have to make the seemingly inevitable decision to promote him to the starting lineup.

Even as currently constructed, starting Mathurin over Buddy Hield or even Chris Duarte, two players who should flourish being the focal point of the bench offense, seems pretty plausible, especially with the opening group needing to pack some more size in the wing positions.