This season was going to be all about seeing how Bennedict Mathurin would work in a new role for the Indiana Pacers before they decide whether to re-sign him or not in the offseason. But with him out a while (and potentially having already played his last game for the Pacers), it's going to be much harder for them to make a decision on the Canadian native.
Mathurin is going to be a key player to keep an eye on ahead of February's trade deadline. Not only is he going to be a restricted free agent, but the Pacers may have to trade him this season if they want to upgrade their center position.
Heading into the season, the hope for Indiana was that Mathurin would have his opportunities to prove his worth before the team ultimately decided whether it wanted to trade him or just sign him to a new deal in the offseason. Unfortunately for the Pacers, they are now left with more questions than before, and they have a tough decision on their hands that they must make soon.
The Pacers have a difficult Bennedict Mathurin dilemma to solve
The Pacers gave Mathurin his opportunities this season when they named him their starting shooting guard for opening night. Whether he proved what the Pacers needed to see in those opportunities is a bit of a different story, however.
Mathurin had a scorching-hot start to the season, averaging 21.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 46% from the field and 43% from deep through his first 13 games. However, in his next 11 games, he averaged just 13.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2 assists, and shot 36.9% from the field and 27.1% from deep.
It might not be too hard to figure out what the problem was. Mathurin already spoke about how his toe injury, which sidelined him from Oct. 26 until Nov. 17, was still bothering him. And now that he's out indefinitely with a right thumb sprain, it's clear that these injuries were getting to him.
Regardless, this puts Indiana in a tough position. Assuming this is the Arizona alum's last game for the team ahead of the trade deadline, the Pacers need to make a big decision. And based on what they've seen so far, there is no way they can feel comfortable about it one way or another.
Mathurin certainly showed flashes and was incredible to begin the season, but his inconsistencies reared their ugly head, and his more recent performances reminded the Pacers why they were skeptical to keep him around for the long haul.
So what should the Pacers do?
There are going to be risks no matter what they decide to do, but at the very least, it might be the safer play to just keep him around past the trade deadline and re-sign him in the offseason. And, if anything, they can just choose to move on from him later on if it's not working out.
The pros of Mathurin far outweigh the cons, and the Pacers need to buy as much time as possible before making a clear decision. What they do remains to be seen, but at this point, keeping him around and just re-evaluating in the offseason might be the best decision they can make.