Bennedict Mathurin is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now. In his first six games this season, Mathurin averaged 24.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 46.6% from the field and 37.1% from beyond the arc.
Following the Achilles injury to Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner's departure, a lot of eyes went to Mathurin. The Canadian native was eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension this past offseason, but Indiana chose not to give it to him. Instead, the team wanted him to prove his worth and show that he can level up in a bigger role as their starting shooting guard before committing to him long term.
So far, Mathurin is doing exactly that. But one problem remains: we still don't know if he is going to be a good fit with Haliburton as the Pacers' point guard for the long run.
Unfortunately for him and the team, nobody will know the answer to that question this season. And the Pacers will have to make a decision before they ever know for sure.
Can Bennedict Mathurin still excel with Tyrese Haliburton at the point?
On top of having the ball in his hands a lot more and taking on a bigger role, one of the biggest reasons for Mathurin's success this season is that Indiana's offense is running a bit differently.
It may not have been as drastic a change as most were expecting, but it was widely expected that the Pacers would likely slow down the tempo and pace with Andrew Nembhard running the offense, not Haliburton. So far, this is exactly what has happened, and Mathurin may be benefiting from this change more than anybody else on the team.
The Arizona alum is a tremendous scorer. He is fantastic in isolation and creating shots for himself. Because of this, he is at his best when he can put the ball on the floor and dribble his way to a bucket, whether it be by driving to the rim or shooting it from outside the paint.
This is great and all, but it doesn't fit the team's system.
The Pacers, particularly when led by Haliburton, love pushing the pace, playing with energy, and moving the ball around. They have been at least a top-five team in passes per game, according to NBA.com, each season since 2020-21. So when Mathurin, whose bread-and-butter isn't his passing, enters the picture, it can create some problems for the team.
This is ultimately why the Pacers didn't want to sign him to a new deal just yet.
But can he be a great fit next to Haliburton for the long haul? Absolutely.
One part of this debate that seems to be ignored is that Mathurin and the Pacers have been fine even if all the pieces don't fit the puzzle. They were just in the NBA Finals, and the 23-year-old still had success on the team (he even recorded 24 points and 13 rebounds in Indiana's Game 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder).
Plus, Mathurin is still very young and is continuing to develop. He is continuing to show great chemistry in the starting lineup with Andrew Nembhard and Pascal Siakam. And, for what it's worth, he is averaging 40.3 passes per game this season, according to NBA.com. This is by far a career-high for him, and it's a massive jump from 32.8 passes last season.
He may not be a perfect fit, but Mathurin is proving that he can help the Pacers compete. And he will continue to do so even when they get their star guard back.