Bennedict Mathurin is having an excellent rookie season for the Indiana Pacers. While the expectations for his debut year as a pro baller certainly weren’t low- he was taken 6th overall by the Pacers in last year’s NBA draft- Mathurin’s early season performances have shattered even the most optimistic predictions a Pacers fan could’ve made. Mathurin came into the league confident that his abilities stack up to even the best players in the game, and through 29 games, it’s easy to see that his confidence is well-founded.
Even though Mathurin, as a rookie, has been playing like a bonafide star and is among the favorites to win 6th man of the year, he currently isn’t the favorite to win Rookie of the Year (ROY). Three major sportsbooks still have last year’s 1st overall pick, Paulo Banchero as the favorite to win the award.
Both rookies are playing excellently through the first part of the NBA season. Each player has a specific role their team asks them to play, and both players are executing that role well. Although Banchero looks headed toward an accolade-filled first season, there’s reason to believe that in the race for ROY, Bennedict Mathurin isn’t far behind the Magic forward, and he may just be leading it after all.