Just a few months ago, the Indiana Pacers shocked the NBA world and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals despite entering the playoffs as the No. 6 seed. This was their first such appearance since 2014, back when they were led by Paul George and Roy Hibbert.
Despite ultimately getting swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, the Pacers gave them their toughest challenge of the postseason and proved to the basketball world that they are a threat in the Eastern Conference.
Considering the Pacers had missed the playoffs in each of the three prior seasons, this was an incredibly welcoming sight for their players and fans. Well, all but one player, at least.
Bennedict Mathurin reveals "it was kind of tough" to watch the Pacers' conference finals run
One thing that made Indiana's playoff run last season even more impressive was the fact that they were without Mathurin throughout its entirety. The wing suffered a serious shoulder injury in March, sidelining him for the rest of the season, including the playoffs.
While the Pacers were showing the basketball community what they were all about, Mathurin was rehabbing his injury, forced out of action.
Recently, the 22-year-old opened up about watching the Pacers' run from last season. Though he talked about how good it was for the team, Mathurin also admitted that "it was kind of tough to see that."
“It was kind of tough to see that,” Mathurin said. “It was good for the team, and it was good because it puts me back to myself and it kind of humbled me a little bit because we had such success.”
It is fair for Mathurin to feel this way. On one hand, his teammates were able to do something the organization had not been able to do in a decade--make the conference finals. However, on the flip side, they were able to do it without him on the court, making him seem replaceable.
Ultimately, as he enters his third NBA season, this is a make-or-break campaign for Mathurin. He is becoming a popular trade asset, and last season's playoff run did not help his case. It may have even been more harmful, in fact, due to the emergence of Andrew Nembhard.
Nonetheless, Mathurin is an incredibly talented player who has played well in his career as a Pacer so far. At this point, a trade involving the Canadian native seems unlikely. It is quite the opposite, in fact, given what Pacers GM Chad Buchanan had to say about him and his potential role this season.
With Mathurin back in the fold, the Pacers are a legitimate contender to make it back to the conference finals next season. Though they are not expected to make it all the way to the NBA Finals, they have shocked the basketball world once already. It would not be a surprise to Pacers fans if they did it again.