Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin seems to ebb and flow for the Pacers, week by week. Sometimes he’s an explosive sixth-man scorer who can take over the game. Sometimes he drifts and is just another wing on a team with a lot of good ones.

You wonder if it’s time for the Pacers to finally decide if they prefer the “winning impact over production” work of Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard or Mathurin’s scoring prowess. Mathurin showed last year that he can contribute to a playoff-winning team. But he’s also probably ready to take the next step in his career.

Can he do that in Indiana? Can they afford him to give him the opportunities to do it? I think Mathurin has breakout potential next year, but he’s going to need a team that believes in him, because when teams are not fully committed to putting the rock in his hands, he has games where he drifts too much.