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Replicating, or even exceeding last season's success is no doubt the goal for the Indiana Pacers. They boast the same group of core players, who are again led by the Tyrese Haliburton-Pascal Siakam duo. On the sidelines, Rick Carlisle's playbook is once more being utilized. With all the familiarity swirling about, the boat should be sailing smoothly for Indiana…but for some reason, it isn't.
The Pacers have lost five out of their last eight games. They currently hold a 9-12 record, good for eighth place in the Western Conference. Compare that to last season when the team was 13-8 after their first 21 games. Maybe it's Haliburton's dip in numbers. Maybe it's how Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and (more recently) Ben Sheppard have all been dealing with injuries, depleting the Pacers at the wings. Or maybe it's how Indiana continues to struggle defensively.
Whatever's causing the losses, it's dampening the fact that the Pacers have seen forward strides from a particular player this season. Some may have already seen this coming, considering how much potential he's always had ever since the team drafted him two years ago. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Bennedict Mathurin is finally breaking out.
Bennedict Mathurin: Most Improved Player?
Signs of a breakout season were already present early on, such as when Mathurin scored 30 points during the team's overtime win over the Boston Celtics in October. While he's already shown that he can put up these types of games in the prior seasons, Mathruin has always played a limited role off the bench. The injuries to Nesmith and Nembhard prompted Carlisle to put Mathurin in the first five and so far, the former lottery pick has heeded the call. In fact, he's shown significant leaps in numbers.
From averaging 26.1 minutes last season, Mathurin is now playing 32.4 minutes per game. In terms of efficiency, he's currently shooting 48.4% from the floor. That's much better than his field-goal rating last season (44.6%). From beyond the arc, the Arizona product also raised his efficiency from 37.4% last season to 43% at present. He's also putting up a career-best 6.8 rebounds per game. Most noticeably, Mathurin is now scoring 18.5 points per game, making him the second-highest scorer for the Pacers. This is also much higher compared to his tally last season (14.5 ppg).
Another thing that's greatly visible is how, at times, Mathurin plays like the Pacers' biggest star. Of course, Haliburton and Siakam are still 1a and 1b in the unspoken hierarchy, but there have been nights when the Canadian was the top threat to opponents. Take a look at his career-high performance against the New York Knicks last month. Putting up 38 points en route to a rivalry win, Mathurin did a bit of everything. Spot-up and self-created threes, aggressive drives to the basket, mid-range pull-ups — the 22-year-old was unstoppable.
Mathurin is one of the best shot-creators on the Pacers' roster. One can even argue that he's second only to Haliburton in that area. Couple that with his growing downtown efficiency and his ability to finish strong at the rim and it's easy to see how high of a ceiling Mathurin has.
While there have always been concerns about his defense, the third-year wing has shown signs of improvement, such as when he played a big part in limiting Luka Doncic to 9-of-24 (37.5%) shooting when the Pacers edged out the Dallas Mavericks in November.
With how things look right now, Bennedict Mathurin is making a strong case for Most Improved Player. There are lots of viable candidates for the award, but who knows? If his stellar play continues through the 82-game span, anything can happen.
