Bennedict Mathurin is coming back down to earth, yet he is still playing incredible basketball. The Pacers need to know they can depend on him before signing him to a new contract in the offseason. And so far, the Canadian native is proving they absolutely can.
Bennedict Mathurin is playing great for the Pacers
Indiana gave Mathurin the biggest role of his career when it made him the opening-night starting shooting guard. The team wanted to see if he could prove his worth and showcase his full value before signing him to a new deal.
The season is still young, but they should be very happy with the way Mathurin has performed.
In his first five games of the season (which included a three-week absence due to a toe injury), the Arizona alum averaged 26.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.2 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc.
These numbers were never sustainable, and the Pacers are learning that firsthand. But even so, this was still an incredibly encouraging sight.
Mathurin has regressed a bit from his scorching-hot start. In his eight game since, he has averaged 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while shooting 42.9% from the field and 45.5% from deep. Regardless, these are still solid numbers, and he is contributing in other ways as well. He's moving the ball a lot more, is more focused on defense, and is overall doing a better job of fitting into Indiana's system.
(He is also a big reason the Pacers are 4-4 in those games. It's not great, but considering how bad they were to begin the season, this is a pretty successful stretch of games).
Indiana's reasons to not extend Mathurin in the offseason were valid. Nobody knows what his long-term role is or should be, he isn't a good enough playmaker or defender for the team to justify moving into the luxury tax just to keep him, and he is a very questionable fit in the team's offense because of his reputation as a ball-stopper.
And yet, it's beginning to look like a no-brainer for the Pacers to keep him around.
If there's one thing Mathurin has proven so far, it is that he can buy into the team's system while also stepping up as a scorer and shot-creator when needed, regardless of how big a role he is taking on. Plus, he's only 23 years old and still has plenty of upside.
There is still a lot of season left, and a lot of eyes will be on Mathurin to keep doing what he's doing. But if he can keep up this pace and continue to showcase exactly what he brings to the table, then it's going to be close to a guarantee that he stays in Indiana past this season as the team looks to re-enter the title picture.