5 things the Indiana Pacers should wish for this holiday season
By Joe Lyon
Gift No. 2: Increased clutch performances from their young stars.
One of the biggest compliments you can give a young player is that they are clutch when it matters the most. Every team needs a player that emerges in the moment they are needed the most. The 90’s Bulls had Michael Jordan. The 00’s Lakers had Kobe Bryant. The 10’s Warriors had Steph Curry. Currently, the Pacers are filled with an enormous amount of youth.
There have been glimmers of clutch play amongst the young stars. For example, Chris Duarte has shown an ability to hit the big shot at the end of a quarter or game. Haliburton has also been able to do it to some degree albeit inconsistently.
Bennedict Mathurin hasn’t quite had the opportunity to be put in clutch situations much in his young career. Early results seem promising, in that he consistently seems to show up and increase his scoring in the fourth quarter. Only time will tell if he can develop into the closer many fans are already saying he can be.
Yet, the Pacers will need a closer if they want to compete at the highest levels. That may be Mathurin. That may be Haliburton. But that go-to closer will need to emerge over the course of the season for the Pacers to continue to compete against the biggest stars in the biggest moments.