Bennedict Mathurin is having a stellar season with the Indiana Pacers. So well, that he could well get a nomination for two prestigious trophies.
If he keeps up the blistering pace at which he’s producing, the Montrealer should be in the running for Rookie of the Year and Sixth Most Outstanding Player — given to a player who starts more games on the bench than in the starting five . Never in NBA history has a player won both awards in the same season.
Mathurin could be the first to do so if the stars align.
These two trophies are not mutually exclusive items. Ben Gordon came close to achieving the feat in 2004-05 when he was named sixth player of the year, but finished second overall for rookie of the year. The place in the record books is therefore always available.
The Pacers are doing everything possible to allow Mathurin to win both honors. In theory, he should rank sixth on the team in average minutes played, right? Fake. With an average of just over 28 minutes per game (28.6) he climbed to the fourth level of the club.
With only six starts on the clock after 52 games, the formation of Indiana allows the native of Montreal North to continue his quest for this trophy for the best substitute. There is, however, fierce competition with 2017 league MVP Russell Westbrook, former 2017 Rookie of the Year recipient Malcolm Brogdon and Jordan Poole, who plays for the defending champion Golden State Warriors. .
However, all is not lost for Mathurin. The 20-year-old leads the NBA with 843 points from the bench. However, he will have to deal with the challenges of the second part of the calendar which he is facing for the first time.
We come to the part of the season where he starts to face teams for the second time. Teams make adjustments with the idea, of course, of making it harder for him and that’s one of the big tests for young players.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle in early January
And Mathurin answered. He’s averaged 24.6 points in his last five games and continues to perform despite the absence of team star Tyrese Haliburton.
And all that, we remember, as a rookie.
The sixth pick of the 2022 NBA auction is in a heated battle with the first overall pick of the same draft, Paolo Banchero, for the title of rookie of the year. Banchero leads in most key stats, including points-per-game average (20.7 to Mathurin’s 17.9), but spends nearly five more minutes on the court.
Another aspect that is considered when presenting these awards is the player’s role in training. The Pacers are battling for a spot in the knockout tournament and currently sit 10e and last rank giving access to the Eastern Conference tournament. For its part, the Orlando Magic of Banchero shows up in 13e position of the same association, outside the portrait of the series.
It goes without saying that Mathurin and Banchero were named yesterday among the Rising Stars of the NBA for the purpose of a duel on February 17, which will be held on the sidelines of the classic of the league stars.
There is no certainty whether Mathurin will be able to end the season the same way he started it and if he will get his hands on a trophy, but Pacers fans and Quebec basketball fans can continue to keep an eye on one of the most exciting rising stars on the circuit.