Ben Sheppard has widely been considered one of the biggest disappointments for the Indiana Pacers this season, and it's because he hasn't made the most of his opportunities. However, he showed out in a big way on Thursday night and reminded everybody what he brings to the table.
In the loss to the Washington Wizards, the Georgia native recorded 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in 27 minutes. And after a slow start to the season, it looks like Sheppard may be turning things around and is finally finding his footing.
Across his last three games before the All-Star break, Sheppard averaged 10.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while shooting 54.5% from the field and 50% from deep. Additionally, he is continuing to play solid defense.
For the rest of this season, a lot of eyes are going to be on Sheppard. His salary is going to jump from $2.8 million to $5 million. And it could be wise for Indiana to move on from him and his expiring contract in the summer, especially if avoiding the luxury tax is truly a top priority for them. But if he can continue to show what the Pacers have been looking to see from him moving forward, then they may have no choice but to keep him around.
Ben Sheppard has been good, but he's still not untouchable
The Pacers should be happy with the way Sheppard has played, but there's still a lot of work for him to do to establish himself as a long-term asset.
One of Sheppard's biggest problems is his inconsistencies as a three-point shooter, which is a big problem considering his role with the Pacers. Since the turn of the calendar, he is shooting 42.6% from deep on 3.2 attempts. But in his 23 games prior, he shot just 28.6% from beyond the arc on 4 attempts.
Additionally, the Belmont native is not much of a shot creator, which puts him at a bit of a disadvantage, particularly this season without Tyrese Haliburton running the point.
If Sheppard can become a more consistent shooter (and maybe improve off the dribble), that would pay huge dividends for him and the Pacers. But even so, it might not be enough to solidify his role past this season.
The Pacers have a chance to land Kansas' Darryn Peterson in the draft. Plus, many have high hopes for Johnny Furphy once he returns from his ACL injury, and everybody in the backcourt is going to move down a peg once Haliburton returns. Naturally, Sheppard could be the odd man out just based on talent, upside, and numbers.
There is still a ton of basketball left on the schedule, and there's no denying how well Sheppard has played in recent games. But he still has a lot of obstacles to overcome to stay in Indiana for the long run.