NBA insider and analyst Evan Sidery recently shared his thoughts on the young players in the Indiana Pacers’ guard/wing position. He mentioned that the Pacers have some intriguing decisions to make due to the abundance of young talent at the guard/wing position. This talent includes players such as Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker.
Sidery stated that Toppin will most probably leave the Pacers. If that doesn’t happen, Walker will be benched for a longer time and will not play a game for the second straight year. He mentioned that Walker hasn’t begun his career yet. He also stated that Sheppard played for several minutes during Mathurin’s injury.
“Toppin is a restricted free agent, but it would be surprising to see him leave Indiana. However, Toppin’s return would keep top-10 pick Jarace Walker glued to the bench for a second straight year to begin his career. Meanwhile, Sheppard has thrived in the added minutes since Mathurin’s injury.” Sidery wrote in his post.
Indiana Pacers’ Young Stars Catching the Eye of NBA Scouts, Says Sidery
Sidery mentioned that Nembhard will only start the first quarter of the games next season. He also stated that Mathurin is a talented player, but head coach Rick Carlisle doesn’t fully trust him to play continuously for the next three years.
“Nembhard is entrenched as a starter, but it’s apparent he plays better as the primary ball handler instead of being off-ball. Should Nembhard run Indiana’s second unit to receive more on-ball possessions and sell high on TJ McConnell? Mathurin has a star-level scoring upside, but it’s very inconsistent to go along with not earning Rick Carlisle’s full trust to earn consistent minutes three years in. If Indiana wants to make a win-now move, Mathurin likely makes the most sense with the current rotation outlook.”
Recently, Carlisle, the Pacers head coach, said that he expects Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to be on the Canadian National Team for the 2024 Olympics this summer.
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The Indiana Pacers should remain patient, but they have a young core with significant interest across the league if they choose to be assertive.
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