Bennedict Mathurin is stepping up in his expanded role for the Indiana Pacers. And he is proving that, no matter what, they can trust him to contribute at bring his best on a nightly basis.
In a recent episode of the "Locked On Pacers" podcast, Tony East mentioned that, despite having a higher usage rate and shooting at a higher volume, the Canadian native is still efficient and is proving his worth in Indiana.
"[Bennedict] Mathurin, right now, usage rate. Career high, up to 26%. He had never been above 24.5%. And true shooting career high. And assist% career high. These are all incremental jumps, but that's still, in the context of what we were just talking about, significant. Even with more, he can be roughly the same, even more efficient... they can ask him to do more next year and feel totally comfortable," East said.
Bennedict Mathurin has been incredible this season
East is completely right, and this is one of the Pacers' biggest takeaways of the season so far.
Mathurin has been tasked with taking on significantly bigger responsibilities. Not only is he the Pacers' starting shooting guard now with Andrew Nembhard running the point for a year, but he is also being relied upon much more heavily to create his own shot and even create for others. Even so, he is playing very well and is doing everything the Pacers needed to see from him.
In his first 10 games this season, the Canadian native averaged 21.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.3 assists (which are all career-highs) while shooting 44.2% from the field and 39.7% from beyond the arc.
It's a small sample size, sure. But a lot of pressure was on Mathurin to take that next step this season. Indiana chose not to sign him to a rookie-scale contract extension this past offseason. The team seemingly had doubts about his long-term fit as an isolation scorer in an offense that relies on ball movement. And now it's up to him to prove his worth.
So far, he has done exactly that. And it should be enough for the Pacers to give him a new contract next year and truly feel confident about it.
It's valid to say that Mathurin might not be a great fit in Indiana for the long run. He excels as an iso scorer who puts the ball on the ground and takes his time making decisions. However, this is the exact opposite of how the Pacers like to operate. And given that he does not provide much defensive or playmaking value, it's understandable that the team may be hesitant to give him a new contract.
Even so, if he is proving anything this season, it's that he can make an impact. He is a microwave who can get hot at any moment, and he is showcasing good chemistry in the starting lineup alongside Nembhard and Pascal Siakam.
The Pacers have a major Mathurin decision to make before next season. Do they sign him to a new contract, even if it means potentially moving into the luxury tax, or do they move on from him and get some assets back for him in a trade? There are pros and cons for both, but in reality, this isn't a tough question to answer. They need to keep Mathurin around for the long haul. No matter what.