In what was a bit of a roller coaster season for Bennedict Mathurin, the third-year pro proved that he is an important part of the Indiana Pacers' success and may be their X-factor during the playoffs. Though the Pacers made the conference finals last year, this will be Mathurin's playoff debut since he was out for the entire postseason last year after suffering a shoulder injury.
Mathurin is one of the Pacers' most valuable bench players, and the team will rely on him heavily in the playoffs. However, while he had a solid season overall, the Canadian native suffered greatly in one specific area that he and the Pacers must address before it hurts them in the playoffs.
Bennedict Mathurin must address this major concern
In his bench role, Mathurin is a score-first player who can contribute to winning basketball in other ways. He has improved as an all-around player, but his offense (particularly his scoring) remains his bread-and-butter. This will be especially important in the playoffs, when the Pacers will rely even more on their high-powered offense to lead them to victories. However, while Mathurin is a good scorer, he ended the season leaving a lot to be desired.
During his last 11 games, Mathurin averaged 16.5 points on 42.1% shooting. However, during that same stretch, he shot 20% from beyond the arc on 3.6 attempts per game. It is normal for scorers to be streaky, especially from the perimeter, but this is still not an encouraging sign for Mathurin or the Pacers. For them to go on another deep playoff run, they need everybody to be on their A-game, including Mathurin.
While the Pacers will hope that Mathurin's jumpshot can come back in time for their playoff run, they should find comfort knowing that he can contribute regardless. This season was a major jump for Mathurin's development, and he found a major role with the team. He is eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension in the offseason, and the Pacers would be smart to lock him up for the long run.
Mathurin still has his flaws, but he is a valuable player to the Pacers. They will begin the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks, who pose as a legitimate threat to them despite being the No. 5 seed. The Pacers will look to send them home early for the second consecutive season, and Mathurin will be a big part of that. Hopefully for them, he is up to the challenge and will show the basketball world just how valuable he can be.