Bennedict Mathurin has been out of action since the Indiana Pacers' second game of the season as he deals with a toe injury. And it's pretty obvious that they are missing him.
In his two games played so far this season, the Canadian native averaged 31 points on 54.8% shooting from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, 7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as Indiana's starting shooting guard. It's a small sample size, but Mathurin led the Pacers in scoring in both games he played, and he looked fantastic in his bigger role.
This past offseason, the Pacers chose not to sign Mathurin to a rookie-scale contract extension, opting to instead let him prove his worth this season.
In theory, this move makes a lot of sense. Indiana has always made smart financial decisions, and the team still seemingly has some doubts about Mathurin's long-term fit with the team. Given that he is an iso scorer in a system that thrives on ball movement, this makes sense.
The idea was that the Arizona alum would either sink or swim with all eyes on him. Either he would flourish, solidifying his spot in Indiana for the long run, or he would struggle, either forcing the team to move on from him or bring him back on a cheaper contract than he is eligible for.
Does this make sense? Of course. But here's the thing, neither of these has happened.
In a strange development, Mathurin is actually increasing his stock while he is on the sidelines (just when you think the Pacers couldn't shock the basketball world any more than they already have).
There is still a lot of basketball left, but so far, the Pacers miss Mathurin and what he brings to the court. Sure, they miss a lot of other players too (especially Tyrese Haliburton, of course), but they're all coming back at some point and will be a big part of Indiana's future.
But just imagine if that doesn't happen with Mathurin. Imagine if he does leave in the offseason. This would be a tough loss for Indiana, and if the team didn't already know it before, it definitely knows now just how valuable he is to its success.
Pacers need Bennedict Mathurin in order to re-enter the title picture
Everybody knows Mathurin has talent. But why specifically do the Pacers miss him so much?
Well, without him (or Haliburton, or Andrew Nembhard, or Obi Toppin, or T.J. McConnell... you get the gist), the Pacers' offense has looked abysmal. They are scoring a fourth-worst 109.5 PPG while shooting 40.2% from the field (worst in the NBA) and 29.6% from deep (second-worst in the NBA).
Without Mathurin, the Pacers have greatly struggled with generating their own shots and diversifying the offense. A lot of pressure has been on Pascal Siakam to lead the way. And while he's been great, this is proving to be disastrous for the team as a whole, given their poor record and offensive stats.
The 23-year-old is fantastic in Indiana because of his isolation skills, as well as his ability to score from anywhere on the court. But on top of that, his presence alone opens things up for everybody else to succeed since he attracts a lot of focus from defenses.
Mathurin is a great player, and he needs to stay in Indiana for a long time. The team misses him now, but they would miss him a whole lot more if they decided to move on from him for whatever reason.