On Tuesday, Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan spoke at length about soon-to-be third-year guard Bennedict Mathurin.
Drafted sixth overall in 2022, it seems like the 22-year-old has already experienced massive highs and lows in his young NBA career. The fact that he was forced to sit out what would’ve been his first playoff season with an injury was even a fitting ending to how last season went. Mathurin entered 2023-24 with high expectations, but after just 12 games, he lost his starting spot.
Pacers’ Chad Buchanan Addresses Bennedict Mathurin’s Role
“He wants to feel like he’s contributing,” Buchanan says of Siakam, per the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak. “I think he recognizes, ‘Hey, we found a group last year that plays well together.’ He’s got to figure, ‘Where do I fit into that group. Is it trying to fit in as a starter? Is it being a primary scorer off the bench? What is that role?’ I think a lot of that is determined in training camp. … His role is to be determined, and it’s in his hands.”
Mathurin is in the most awkward position of any Pacers player because of the questions about his best role in Indiana. As a top-10 pick, he’s expected to have a major role in Indiana. To that point, there’s still a feeling that he can be a star. Averaging 16.7 points per game as a rookie is no small feat.
So, should there really be doubts surrounding his viability as a starter?
There’s Only One Problem
Though floor general Tyrese Haliburton is a fastball, Mathurin also likes to play an uptempo game. That’s not an issue. Aaron Nesmith has developed into a premier 3-and-D wing. On the one hand, this takes away one starting slot. Yet, it benefits Mathurin, because he’s surrounded by long-limbed floor-spacers on the perimeter.
Myles Turner, who loves to dial it in from distance and defend the paint, also helps Mathurin. Because he’s a legitimate 3-point threat, defenses have to respect that, giving ball-handlers more room to probe. At the other end, Turner provides a safety net if the frontline breaks.
However, Pascal Siakam isn’t the most commentary piece, at least not for Mathurin.
He wants to score inside the arc, whether attacking or pulling up. With that said, he’s the clear-cut second option, pushing Mathurin down the ladder.
Siakam could lean more into his playmaking when he’s posting up, finding Mathurin off-ball. Last season, only 2.1 percent of his passes found the young wing. Nonetheless, getting that chemistry down will take time and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle willing to make it a point of emphasis.
Defensively, it gets complicated. Siakam’s a better team than individual defender, which places more pressure on his teammates. Yet, this is a trait he shares with Haliburton and Turner, exacerbating the issue and magnifying Mathurin’s shortcomings.
This is among the reasons why Mathurin has to have more pride in his on-ball defense.
Not Perfect, But Needed
In the end, Mathurin is an imperfect fit with the first unit.
He does need to make quicker and better decisions with the ball in his hands. He needs to be more consistent from outside. Him playing defense at a high level more consistently could go a long way. Lastly, there are four other viable options for the final starting spot: Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker.
Sheppard and Toppin are classic off-ball threats who won’t mind not being able to dance around. They’re also more impactful on the other side of the floor, Sheppard on-ball and Toppin as a help defender. Nembhard is more of a two-way playmaker who helps generate ball-movement and stops. Walker is a similar player, albeit with more of a scoring mindset and defensive versatility.
Still, Mathurin is more capable off-the-dribble than any of them, which has its merits.
Haliburton’s biggest offensive weapon, aside from his passing, is his 3-ball. Siakam is more of a forward than a wing, as evidenced by his modest 3-point volume. With the bevy of perimeter defenders now in the East, having a player of Mathurin’s ilk is more of a necessity than a luxury.
Making The Pacers Believers
As he prepares for the upcoming season, Mathurin is back healthy and competing against NBA-level talent.
Bennedict Mathurin Season 3 Loading 🔋
(🎥 @swishcultures_ /IG) pic.twitter.com/UG4ELbGloP
— InAndOut NBA (@InandoutNBA) September 24, 2024
Soon enough, Buchanan will see how “sitting over there watching (the Pacers) have success without him on the court” really affects him.
“He’s a very reflective person and he really observes what’s going on around him. I think you’ll see a different side to him that’s really adapting to the way to we play.”
As he says, “I think was hard for him but I also think it was good for his development too. I think he saw what it takes to play the way we really want to play. What it takes to play and be successful in a playoff setting.”
“I think he understands, ‘Hey, we have some depth on this roster,’” Buchanan said. “’There’s guys who do some things I can’t do and I do some things they can’t do. It’s up to the coaches to find my best role.’ But at the end of the day, winning is the most important thing for Benn.”
However, Mathurin always plays with a chip on his shoulder, and it probably has only gotten bigger. He’ll do what the team asks in order to win. Yet, a major reason he got this far was because he believed in himself.
Now, he has to make believers out of the Pacers too.
