We are eight games into the NBA season, and the Indiana Pacers have put together a 3-5 start. While their record may be as expected, the play of Tyrese Haliburton and rookie Bennedict Mathurin have exceeded expectations in the eyes of many.
We knew both players had major talent, but I’m not sure we expected this level of production, this quickly.
Tyrese Haliburton is averaging 21.9 points, 9.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game. Bennedict Mathurin, who is coming off the bench, is averaging 20.4 points, and 4.3 rebounds per game, and is playing with no fear regardless of the stage. Are they only putting up big numbers because they get a lot of shots on a bad team? Not quite. Both players are shooting well over 40% from 3, and both are near 50% from the field overall. They’ve got both the quantity and quality thing going.
And dare I say it? Even the national media is taking note. I’ve seen countless tweets about this rising duo from folks who probably forgot Indiana had a professional basketball team.
So what does this mean for this season and beyond? For one, it means this is a fun team to watch, even in a rebuilding year. They play hard, they fight back in games, they have the ability to score a lot of points and throw highlight-reel alley-oops. And with these two guys leading the way at the ripe old ages of 22 and 20, it means Pacer fans have direction and something to truly get behind. For the future, you can start to dream about this backcourt being paired with another high draft pick, and a big free agent signing. And if all the chips fall, you can see a big turnaround in a short time.
Even as the Myles Turner trade rumors circulate for the 5th season in a row, all eyes are on what these kids are going to do next. Haliburton’s goal was to be an All-Star, and that is well within reach. Mathurin has his sights set on Rookie of the Year, and possibly 6th man of the year if he continues coming off the bench. The best part? These guys will be here for the long haul. There’s little to no threat of either player leaving the Pacers in free agency because of how those first contracts work in the NBA. Expect this rising pair to be wearing blue and gold for the better part of the next decade.
To celebrate, I have partnered up with the iconic “Obvious Shirts” brand to offer a collection of Indiana sports shirts. Pacer fans are loving this one in particular: 0+00=100. For those who don’t know, Haliburton wears jersey #0 and Mathurin wears #00. If that math doesn’t check out to you, ask a young person what the “100” emoji means, and you’ll feel better about it! To get this shirt or others in the collection, head to obviousshirts.com and search “Indy Sports.” You can use the code ISL15 at checkout for a 15% discount.
Tyler Smith covers the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Hoosiers for IndySportsLegends and is a frequent contributor to the Journal Review. Smith is also the head girls basketball coach at Crawfordsville High School.
