Entering Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers appeared primed and ready to compete for the title of “dynasty in the making.” Indiana was 48 minutes away from potentially winning its first NBA championship, with back-to-back Conference Finals appearances already achieved.
When Tyrese Haliburton went down with what was instantly diagnosed by fearful fans as an Achilles injury, however, those dynastic dreams went up in flames.
It didn’t take long for the next domino to fall, as Myles Turner shocked the masses by spurning the Pacers for the rival Milwaukee Bucks in free agency. That inevitably painted the picture that Indiana’s ascension had come to a sudden end. Those around the NBA simply don’t subscribe to that belief.
According to Jamal Collier of ESPN, rival executives believe Bennedict Mathurin will step up and fill the void left by Haliburton and Turner in the scoring department in 2025-26.
“A few executives also pointed to Bennedict Mathurin as someone they believe will pick up the scoring slack left by those two absences. They’ll be keeping a close eye on him this season to see how he handles a primary scoring role.”
This in no way guarantees that Mathurin will make the leap, but there’s ample reason to believe that devastation can lead to opportunity for the fourth-year wing.
Rival executives believe Bennedict Mathurin will thrive in 2025-26
Indiana selected Mathurin at No. 6 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, thus suggesting it hoped he’d be able to thrive in environments both ideal and disadvantageous. The 2022 Pac-12 Player of the Year has certainly rewarded that faith as a scorer, producing intriguing numbers for a player who only recently turned 23.
Through three NBA seasons, Mathurin has compiled averages of 15.9 points per game and 20.2 points per 36 minutes while increasing his eFG% across each of the past two years.
Nevertheless, Mathurin’s minutes became difficult to predict during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. He played fewer than 20 minutes in 13 of his 22 appearances, although he exceeded that figure during four of the seven games during the NBA Finals.
Mathurin excelled when his number was called, posting five 20-point games, including a 27-point and 13-rebound eruption during Game 7 of the NBA Finals.
It was the tale of Mathurin’s season: Big numbers when minutes were made available, but inconsistency in regard to the role that was defined for him. It’s created some degree of concern among Pacers fans in regard to how he fits long term.
One simply can’t overlook Mathurin’s averages when he played at least 30 minutes in 2024-25: 19.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 three-point field goals made on .464/.394/.821 shooting.
With Haliburton potentially sidelined for all of the 2025-26 regular season, the opportunity for Mathurin to produce those numbers on a nightly basis has arrived. He should have every opportunity to earn a starting role alongside Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, both of whom could ultimately defer to the former Arizona Wildcats star for high-volume scoring efforts.
Rick Carlisle may yet have tricks up his sleeve, but it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which Mathurin doesn’t take a significant step forward in a prominent scoring position in 2025-26.