Quebecer Bennedict Mathurin ended his first season in the NBA with the feeling of not having done enough.
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This is what he said at a press conference Monday, during the assessment of the players of the Indiana Pacers. The roster wrapped up its 2022-23 campaign on Sunday night and maintained a 35-47 record. By virtue of their 11th place finish in the Eastern Conference, Pacers players failed to qualify for the playoffs.
“I’ve always been very hard on myself and I feel like I haven’t accomplished what I wanted to do,” Mathurin said.
“It is however a good thing, because I do not have the feeling of the accomplished duty, he then added. I will work twice as hard this summer to become a better player.”
The Montreal North native averaged 16.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game on his first lap on the Silver circuit.
“My biggest learning was learning to deal with the ups and downs, as well as with the trials,” analyzed the player drafted with the sixth overall choice of the last NBA auction.
Happy with his relationship with his coach
Mathurin was also asked about his relationship with head coach Rick Carlisle, who hasn’t always been kind to him.
“I feel lucky to have a coach who is tough on me,” said the 20-year-old. It proves to me that he wants the best for me. Yesterday [dimanche], in the last game of our season, he took me out of the game because I got beat up. It was our last game and I wanted to play, but he took the opportunity to teach me a lesson.
“The fact that he was strict and tough on me helped me get through my first season. I hope to live several more seasons with him.
Mathurin explained that he intends to return to training fairly quickly. He will also be back in Quebec in a few weeks. In June, he will also visit a secondary school in the greater metropolitan area as part of the awareness campaign “Vapoter, c’est pas ta game”. Mathurin is the spokesperson for this initiative of the Quebec Student Sports Network (RSEQ) and the Quebec Council on Tobacco and Health (CQTS).