Pacers' Johnny Furphy Makes Case for More NBA Time With Dominant G League Performance

When Johnny Furphy was drafted, the Indiana Pacers had planned to send Johnny Furphy to the G League for most of the season this year. With him being a second-round pick, it was going to be the only way that he was going to get reps.
What happened instead was that Furphy was in the rotation for a few games because of the rash of injuries the Pacers had. With the Pacers missing two centers, their starting small forward, and a starting guard, Furphy had to play real minutes.
In fact, Furphy has played in 25 games for the Pacers so far this season. He has averaged 8.5 minutes, way more than Rick Carlisle wanted to play him this year.
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Furphy has just played in three G League games this season. His most recent game was a game for him to remember, though.
In a game against Osceola, Furphy was able to have a double-double. He put up 17 points and 15 rebounds in his best game as a professional with any team.
Johnny Furphy with a career high and dominant double-double today against Osceola ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/sgPAGzrkPl
— Mad Ants Basketball (@TheMadAnts) January 10, 2025
It was a solid shooting performance from Furphy, as he went 8-14 from the field. It was a night that he needed to have for his future confidence.
Carlisle and the rest of the Pacers' staff always wanted to be able to keep Furphy in Fort Wayne for most of the season. It's the best thing for his development.
The Pacers see Furphy as someone who can eventually be a contributing member of the rotation. He has a good shooting stroke and length to help on the defensive side of the ball.
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Once Indiana is fully healthy, Furphy will be spending most of his time in the G League. What he has already shown a few times with the Pacers is that he has a lot of confidence in his game.
That's one of the things that drew the Pacers to draft him. A performance like this against the Osceola Magic does give him a case to get some more NBA time, even if that wasn't the original plan.
At the very least, Furphy has shown that the Pacers have made the right call drafting him. He seems like someone who can contribute to the team in the future.
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