The Indiana Pacers rank as the third-worst offense in the NBA two weeks into the season. And most of that has to do with injuries to players like Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin. But they are also getting poor play from many of their players. This especially includes Ben Sheppard, who has not had a good start to his season.
Sheppard began the season on a high note, scoring 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting during Indiana's opening night loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He even recorded eight rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block before fouling out.
However, his play on the court has left a lot to be desired since.
In his following six games, the Georgia native averaged 5.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting a horrific 28.2% from the field and 10% from beyond the arc on 3.3 attempts per game.
Additionally, according to NBA.com, Sheppard is shooting just 1-for-18 (5.6%) on wide-open threes this season. He is just one of three players to make just one wide-open three-point shot on 10 or more attempts (Ochai Agbaji of the Toronto Raptors and Tyrese Martin of the Brooklyn Nets are each 1-for-10 on such shots).
The Pacers' offense looks like a shell of its past self, and even beyond the team's injuries, Sheppard is far from the only problem. He may not even be the biggest one. But for someone who is supposed to be an important 3-and-D player on Indiana's bench, he is looking like a borderline non-factor on offense rather than anything else. And until his shot starts to fall, it's going to stay that way.
Ben Sheppard has what it takes to turn it around
It's not news to Pacers fans that Sheppard is a streaky shooter. In his final 20 games last regular season, he shot 29.1% from deep. But in 21 playoff games, he shot 39.5% from deep.
When he's hot, the Belmont alum is a real asset to the team. He is a great depth piece who hustles and plays with a lot of energy while also providing value on both sides of the ball. Given how important depth is to the Pacers' success, they should be happy with a guy like Sheppard.
That's not the case this season, though.
Sheppard has struggled to hit his shots, which is not great for Indiana given how bad its offense has looked to begin the season. And a lot of this could just be him struggling to transition into his new (but temporary) role as one of the Pacers' main point guards.
Regardless of the reason, the 24-year-old's play is leaving a lot to be desired on the court. And with how much higher he now is on the depth chart because of Indiana's injuries, he needs to turn it around. And fast.
Fortunately for Sheppard and the Pacers, there are reasons to believe he can do exactly that.
He is established enough as a key bench player in Indiana for fans to believe this is just a slump. Additionally, not everybody attempts 18 wide-open threes in seven games. The shot isn't falling, but he's getting good looks. Once he finds his groove, he should become a legitimate offensive contributor again in no time.
It may not be enough for the Pacers to go on another deep playoff run this season, but if Sheppard can find his rhythm, it will pay dividends for a team looking to make some noise in the East.