Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin on Setting The Pace podcast: 'I think I've taken my game to a different level'
Bennedict Mathurin has a big second season coming his way. After a strong opening campaign in which he landed on the All-Rookie First Team, Mathurin will begin training camp as a starter for the Indiana Pacers. A big part of the Pacers future will be determined by how well he does in that role and how well he fits next to All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
This summer, the young guard has worked out with Warriors star Klay Thompson and hosted a basketball camp in Indianapolis. He also worked the NBA Finals as a media member, improved his game in Summer League, and received praise from Clippers star Paul George. It's been quite the offseason for the 21-year old.
In between all of that, he improved his skills. In a recent appearance on the Setting The Pace podcast, Mathurin chatted with hosts Alex Golden and Michael Facci about what will look different about his game during his second season.
"I think I've taken my game to a different level. I think I was labeled as a drive left and... I could shoot it the first 30 games, but I feel like the main thing for me was conditioning," Mathurin shared when asked about his offseason. He averaged 16.7 points per game as a rookie.
The powerful guard is correct about his three-point shooting, and that is an important skill to monitor in year two. Through 20 games, he was shooting 41.5% from deep on nearly six attempts per game. He shot 26.7% on threes for the rest of the season. Those numbers stabilizing would go a long way for Mathurin.
His passing needs work as well, but he identified that as a skill he needs to improve earlier in the summer. "I feel like I was running a lot this summer and taking game shots," he said on Setting The Pace. "I think my game has taken a big step. I'm not really trying to say what I worked on because scouting reports is real. But I'm really excited. I'm really excited for what's coming."
The 2022 sixth overall pick also averaged 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in year one. He is hoping to be one of the best two-way players in the NBA during his career, so his defensive growth will be worth monitoring this season. On the podcast, he chatted about working out with Thompson, his season goals, his other hobbies, and more. The full episode can be found here.
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- Bennedict Mathurin to enter training camp as starter for Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
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