Ben Sheppard had been solid for the Indiana Pacers for a few seasons, but was he going to be a long-term rotational piece for them? Was he ever going to work out his inconsistencies and take that next step as a player?
While he's far from an All-Star, the Georgia native proved to the Pacers that yes, he can be a real asset moving forward. And with him being eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension this summer, he could stick around in Indiana for the long haul.
The beginning of this season was rough for Sheppard, who was forced into a point guard role because of all the injuries he dealt with. And for the most part, this experiment didn't go too well. However, he turned this around towards the end of the year and proved he can be a legitimate contributor for years to come.
Ben Sheppard is turning into a real asset for the Pacers
Sheppard is a good, smart defender who can hit some threes, but he's not a 3-and-D guy. And that's mostly because of how inconsistent his shot was.
In his rookie season, he shot 31.4% from deep on 2.7 attempts. In 2024-25, he shot 34.2% on 3.2 attempts. And in his first 26 games this past season (up until New Year's), he shot just 28.6% on 4 attempts. However, he shot 41.1% on 3.4 attempts in 42 games since the turn of the calendar, and he became a much more consistent and reliable three-point shooter.
For someone like Sheppard, who could be a trade candidate this summer given that his salary will jump from $2.8 million to $5 million, there isn't a lot he can do wrong. He's a replaceable player, and if he can't hit his shots consistently, it won't be too hard of a decision for Indiana to move on from him.
But fortunately for the Belmont native, it seemed like he turned things around at a good time and is proving that he should stick around for the long haul.
It remains to be seen whether the Pacers will sign him to a new extension this summer, as a lot of it will likely depend on how the draft goes and who else they may get rid of first. But even so, this is still going to be an important narrative to follow throughout the offseason. Sheppard finally proved he can be an asset in Indiana, and it may be enough to solidify his spot with the team for years to come.
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