The future is bright for Johnny Furphy, and soon enough, the Indiana Pacers will realize that he can be a long-term contributor for the team, even more so than some of the other guys already on the team, particularly Ben Sheppard.
Sheppard is a solid player who has done well in his role with the Pacers so far. He is a fantastic bench piece and provides value on both sides of the ball. Additionally, he just recently turned 24 years old and still has room to grow. However, at some point, Indiana may have to make a decision between him and Furphy, and there may only be one solution.
Johnny Furphy is an intriguing player for the Pacers
Sheppard has proven his value to the Pacers, but at this point, he is what he is. He does not have a high ceiling, and it is significantly lower than Furphy's. Furphy has a lot more intrigue as well, and he could be better suited to help the Pacers re-establish themselves as title contenders at this point.
The Australian native did not play much during his rookie season last year, but when he did, he looked solid. Furphy has fantastic size for his position and can be incredibly versatile. Additionally, he does a lot of the little things well, too, and that should only bode well for him as he looks to carve out a role in Indiana. It also helps that he is only 20 years old and will have a lot of opportunities to make an impact.
Next season, especially, will be a big test for Furphy as he is expected to be in for a significantly increased role.
Following the season-ending Achilles injury Tyrese Haliburton suffered, as well as the departure of Myles Turner, the Pacers will look very different next season, and they will have a good chance to experiment with their roster a bit and see what works and what doesn't as they aim to remain competitive.
As it stands, a lot of eyes are going to be on players like Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Jarace Walker, and Isaiah Jackson. For one reason or another, all of these players have something to prove, and they will each be called upon a lot as the Pacers look to prove that next year is not a "gap year." However, it will also be important to monitor Furphy, who will be able to showcase his talents to the basketball world with a much bigger sample size.
It is too early to call on Furphy to be a long-term contributor in Indiana, but the results look good so far, especially after his impressive showing in Summer League earlier this year. The Kansas alum has a lot of talent and potential, and he also fits the Pacers' timeline. If he can live up to his hype, he should be a big-time player in Indiana for a long time, and that is going to be crucial for the team as they look to continue their quest to bring home the Larry O'Brien Trophy.