While the Indiana camp is in full swing, Montrealer Bennedict Mathurin is having a great time with the young Pacers, who will play their first preseason game on Wednesday.
Posted at 6:25 p.m.
“There’s a lot of talent in the team,” said Mathurin, drafted sixth on June 23, four days after his 20e anniversary.
“The core is young. It’s great to just be around guys who have different levels of experience in the NBA, to learn and grow as a team. »
“We have a lot of fun training. Myles (Turner) helps me a lot, Buddy (Hield) too. It’s a very motivating environment.
I want to take my place in the team. I want to be able to have a big impact and be able to help the club win.
Bennedict Mathurin
The Quebecer also had good discussions with head coach Rick Carlisle.
“We talked about the future and what I can bring to the club,” said Mathurin. How I can be the best version of myself. We are on the same wavelength. I want to learn, so I’m really open to hearing such and such. It’s part of the process. »
“I keep the same mentality and I want to be the best player I can be. Being confident is a big part of who I am. It has brought me this far and it will follow me on my journey.
One of the other members of the young core is Tyrese Haliburton, the 12e 2020 draft pick.
The 22-year-old moved to the Pacers in February. This summer, he and Mathurin visited parks in Indianapolis during team promotion activities. Mathurin also took part in the former Kings basketball camp, along with several teammates.
“Tyrese is a really good person,” said the Montreal North athlete. We have been seeing each other a lot since draft day. We talk about how much we look forward to playing together. We know that we are there to help each other, to help each other, to improve. We are building chemistry for the season. »
In three games in the Summer League, Mathurin averaged 19.3 points, four rebounds and 1.3 steals, with a 38.5% success rate for three-point shots. All this in 22.4 minutes of play, on average.
His long distance touch could also be one of his great assets on NBA courts.
Three-point shots are one of my strengths. My defensive game too. These are things that I can bring to the team from the first game.
Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin also had good words for the Indiana capital.
“It’s good, it’s really different from where I lived before,” said Mathurin, who went through the NBA Academy of Latin America in Mexico City and the University of Arizona.
“There are a lot of good restaurants and the fans made me feel very welcome. It’s going very well. »
Mathurin shone for two seasons with the Wildcats.
The Pac-12 Player of the Year, Mathurin improved his points per game average from 10.8 to 17.7 from his rookie season to the second.
He grew up in the same corner of the metropolis as his good friend Luguentz Dort, an important player with the Thunder, for three years.
The other Quebecers on the Silver circuit are Chris Boucher and Khem Birch, of the Raptors.
Since 2014, Indiana has been beaten in the first round five years in a row, failing to reach the playoffs on other occasions.
The team had its worst season since the mid-1980s in 2021-22, going 25-57.
Indiana was very successful in the 1990s thanks to Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson, in particular.
The team camp extends through Tuesday.
After road games against the Hornets and Knicks on October 5 and 7, the Pacers will play an intrasquad game on October 9 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
They will then host the Knicks and Rockets on October 12 and 14.
Their regular season will begin on October 19 at home against Washington.