Indiana Pacers exit interviews: Bennedict Mathurin didn't accomplish what he wanted to in his rookie season. That should encourage the Pacers.
Bennedict Mathurin finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. He averaged nearly 17 points per game in his first season with the Indiana Pacers and had two 30+ point outings. He improved his team defense throughout the season and slowly evolved his game as NBA defenses adjusted to his talent. His free throw rate is already elite. By all accounts, it was a successful rookie season.
But Mathurin isn't satisfied. In fact, he was hoping for more from himself in year one.
"Personally, I've always been hard on myself. And I feel like I didn't really accomplish what I wanted to do," Mathurin said of his rookie season at his exit interview earlier this month. "I feel like that's the really good thing about it. To have that chip on my shoulder going through the summer and willing to work twice as hard as I did last summer and become just a better player in general. I feel like that's a good thing to have."
Mathurin loves to be motivated and pushed. He wants to reach new heights and be challenged along the way. That's why he spent much of the season sharing that he told Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle to coach him hard. He wants to be the best two-way player in the league.
That's also why he was somewhat disappointed in his first campaign. He didn't advance toward that goal as much as he hoped to on a day-to-day basis.
"I set goals for myself which are to play as hard as I can. I feel like there was a lot of games this year where I wasn't really 100%, and I feel like that happens," Mathurin shared. "Like I said, this is my first year in the league. And I'm looking forward to being more consistent."
Consistency was certainly Mathurin's biggest issue. Some nights, he looked like the best player on the court. Nobody could stop him from getting to the rim, his off-ball movement was crisp, and his defense was solid. Those nights are why he finished fourth in Wilt Chamberlain Trophy voting.
Other nights, his defensive attention was missing. He forced drives with no plan and couldn't hit jumpers. He wasn't nearly as impressive, and he played fewer minutes during those outings.
That lack of consistency was frustrating for Mathurin, as he said. But he learned a lot about the NBA along the way, which will be beneficial long term.
"Playing 82 games, the season is so much ups and downs. I feel like the biggest thing for me to learn was just to be able to play through ups and downs and challenges and stuff like that," he said.
Mathurin's mentality alone should be reason for optimism for the Pacers. He truly wants to get better every single day. No shortcuts and no days off. He wants to be among the greats.
An entire summer to focus on his game, rather than the pre-draft process or acclimating to a new city, will help Mathurin. As will having knowledge of what skills he needs to work on to get better.
If he can add just one skill — passing, perimeter shooting, team defense, anything — it would make him a significantly better player. He is already an excellent scorer. If Mathurin adds one more thing he can hang his hat on night-in and night-out, he will be that much more effective for the Pacers. He won't have to score to be impactful.
Mathurin wanting to play hard every single day and be coached hard should give Indiana confidence that he will add to his game this summer. And Carlisle loves Mathurin's mentality. That's why he coached him like a veteran all season long.
"It was really a blessing to have a coach that was really hard on you and just proves that he wants the best for you," Mathurin said of Carlisle. He cited a moment in the Pacers final game where Carlisle pulled the rookie out of the action to chat with him about defense after Immanuel Quickley beat Mathurin on a drive.
Next season, the hope for Mathurin and for the blue and gold is that there are fewer of those moments. And then fewer again in the following season. That's what growth is, and improved consistency would help the Pacers rookie significantly.
He has the right mindset to become a more consistent player, and now has the needed knowledge of an NBA season to grow. The next steps for Bennedict Mathurin will be about attacking his summer after not accomplishing what he wanted to.
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