The 2024-25 NBA season has been an interesting one for Bennedict Mathurin. Heading into his third season with the Indiana Pacers, there was some uncertainty regarding his long-term future with the team, but he put an end to those talks after a red-hot start to the year. Since then, he has fallen off and come back numerous times, moved back to the bench in favor of Aaron Nesmith, and has seen his minutes get cut (again). However, it seems like he is turning it around once more.
Largely due to Tyrese Haliburton's recent absence, Mathurin has been re-inserted into the starting lineup with the open spot. While this move is probably just temporary, he is making a statement that the Pacers cannot ignore. In his last three games (all starts), the Arizona alum is averaging 24.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals. He is also shooting 47.8% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc in that span.
Mathurin's resurgence came at the perfect time as the Pacers inch closer to the start of the playoffs. Furthermore, it also proved what fans knew all along (which should terrify the rest of the league).
Bennedict Mathurin is proving his value to the Pacers' success
Mathurin has grown a lot as a player this year and is somebody who can contribute to winning basketball in Indiana. It is still not entirely clear what Mathurin's role will be for the team in the postseason, but he is making it known that he deserves a spot in the rotation and can be an asset.
After the Pacers' victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Canadian native spoke about being "a big believer in myself" and "trying to win." This is exactly what fans will want to hear with the playoffs right around the corner.
"As you may know, I'm a big believer in myself, right?" Mathurin said. "So any situations that are put in front of me, I think I'm gonna thrive and I think I'll be the best. So just being in those situations, to me it's normal and there's no pressure. It's just going out there and being myself, because at the end of the day I'm trying to win."
Furthermore, his development also proved that, despite making it all the way to the conference finals last year, the Pacers missed Mathurin's presence. And, while this may be an uncomfortable discussion for many fans around the league to have, Mathurin is proving that the Pacers realistically could have (and maybe would have) even defeated the Boston Celtics in the conference finals last season. They were already Boston's toughest opponent during their entire championship run. Adding Mathurin to the equation could have changed the result entirely.
One of Mathurin's biggest problems is his inconsistencies, but his highs are too intriguing to ignore. It remains to see what his future in Indiana looks like as he is eligible for a rookie-scale contract this summer. However, he has proven time and time again that he is too valuable to the Pacers to remain on the bench, and his latest stretch further confirms this.