How the Indiana Pacers Can Take a Leap This Offseason 

Couple notes from a Pacers fan. First, great analysis. Our biggest need is definitely a bigger 3 who can guard and rebound. Nesmith moved down to the 2 would be even better than he is at the 3. He shot 42% from deep this season and showed he can smother a guy like Brunson in the playoffs but he can't guard big SFs. The hardest thing with us in terms of fit are the sheer number of guards we have. Ty, TJ, Nembhard, Mathurin, Nesmith, Sheppard. A trade seems like the only logical way to fix that logjam. I don't think you sell Mathurin for anything less than an exceptional 3&D player in return. His potential is sky high, the question is, do we have the patience to develop him and the room with Nembhard and Nesmith already playing so well ahead of him. Siakam is already turning 30. Keeping Mathurin gives you a "phase 2" of contending assuming he develops. When Siakam is off the books in 5 seasons, you could have Tyrese and Mathurin just entering their primes together. That was the plan entering this season after all. I don't think you sacrifice that just to bring in a bench player. It would have to be a clear upgrade to the starting lineup. On Obi. He shot over 40% this season. If you view him as a shooter first... he's actually a really good role player. Most shooters aren't giving you insane dunks along with the shooting. He's trash at defense... but so are most shooters that come off the bench. If a player is elite at shooting and defense they aren't coming off the bench, they're starting. He fits our playstyle perfectly. We want to run and shoot 3s and finish at the rim... that is Obi Toppin. Worth keeping as your bench 4 until Jarace develops more, you can always trade him later. The job this front office has done in such a short time is insane. A couple years ago our core was Sabonis, Brogdon, Levert, Turner... lol. To turn that into an ECF team 2 years later, with Tyrese, Siakam and a plethora of young talent... there wasn't even room for their lotto pick, Jarace, to crack the rotation this season. They have a couple guys in Mathurin and Nembhard that could legit develop into star players. It's one of the most effective rebuilds I've seen over the course of 2 seasons, and they did it all without a top 5 pick in the lottery. It's easy to do what the Wolves did, they had 2 #1 overall picks. Pacers did it without that luxury. And they are in a win/win position. They can run it back and develop Jarace, Nesmith, Nembhard, Mathurin, etc. or they can make a splash trade and improve their team that way. So many options, the future is bright. Not even to mention that if Tyrese comes back 100% healthy, he may just be a 25/12 guy on near 40/50/90 shooting and low TOs... that's a top 5 player in the NBA. Proud to be a Pacers fan this year and always. Great video!

You guys are undervaluing mathurin heavily. Saying he’s just this guy with potential when he averaged 15 in his second year is insane. He was there third or fourth best player this year until his injury. Pacers have said they believe he’s a future star and is the one of the faces of this team. They won’t give him up.

You guys are seriously undervaluing 2 of the Pacers core players. Mathurin is one of the only guards we have that can consistently get to the FT line and make something out of nothing when the shot clock is winding down. No way you’d trade him to the Spurs for Johnson who seems to be a “looter in the Spurs riot”. Mathurin’s ceiling is way too high. Also does the fact that the Haliburton-Turner pick & roll was the #1 pick & roll combo in the league on point-per-play. The reason for that is he doesn’t always have to roll all the way to the basket to make it work like Jared Allen does. His shooting is key to how effective that pick & roll is. He’s also lead the league in blocks twice, and probably made the season saving block in the series against the Knicks. His rim protection is good, his rebounding is not but with all the other things he provides on offense you can live with that. Trading for Allen would give up just about everything on offense for 3-4 more rpg and rim protection that’s about the same. Honestly I know Obi played well and fits well with this team I don’t think they pay the amount of money it will take to resign him because Walker is there and is able to do more on offense and defense. Walker is a better defender and can handle the ball & make plays. He’s not a high flyer but he’s hit his 3’s at a good rate, though not as good as Toppin. Signing Toppin definitely puts them into the luxury tax and if they can push that back 1 more year they probably will.

Pacers fan here--I live in Indianapolis--Mathurin has a lot of physical talent. He also has a killer attitude. He just needs to be healthy this year and get reassimilated back into the team. Signed Siakam and Toppin--very good. Just signed Wiseman as our third big--we will have to see what he can do---low expectations with him so if he exceeds them as our third big then great.

My ideal roster is Hali, Mathurin, Paul George, Siakam, Turner as the starters. Nembhard getting 1 and 2 bench minutes. Nesmith get 2/3 bench minutes. Jarace backing up paskal from the bench. And whomever backing up turner. Maybe sheppard getting good minutes also. 9-10 man rotation. Sign and trade toppin, tj, and whatever else for George and go for the chip.

Benn Mathurin, at times, looks like an ELITE finisher at the rim. He's a strong body and is aggressive in finding his shot. On a good night, he's going for 35 off the bench. Benn is highly underrated

Myles for Allen definitely makes Pacers better I've been saying this also keep Mathurin

I enjoyed this video, but unless its to trade for a Siakam/All Star type of player, Mathurin isnt going anywhere.

Mathurin just has the highest ceiling of any player on the team. They definitely need to keep him another season at least to see where his development will go. I do believe his play style isnt the best fit but i do believe the media would have been talking about Mathurin instead of Nemby after this playoff run. The more and more the post season went on the more believed Mathurin would have solidified himself. I think Nemby is a better PG and should be the back up PG but as is Nesmith should be the guy that loses the starting spot. Next year Jarace needs to get at least 20 mins a game and i think he'd be a better SF. The Pacers need to mainly focus on development and let Stix, Doug, JJ, and probably let Obi walk (even though it would hurt me lol) and just sign 3 & D guys and rebounders. If everything goes right the starting lineup in 2 years should be Hali - Mathurin - Jarace - Siakam - Myles (okay with having a different Center). Nemby will be the 6th man and Nesmith be the 7th man. Even though we will most likely need to let one of the young guys go between Nemby, Mathurin, Nesmith, Jarace.

What do we get in keldon johnson that we dont have in mathurin? Not to mention the mathurin have so much more potential than keldon johnson

Math is the 3rd best player & was the 2nd before Siakam.

Myles Turner is the weak link and the player who be moved. No way Nesmith and nemhard both start. If Nembhard continues to start Nesmith can’t. Turner is just an idiot. He never shows up in big games and his defense is nonexistent. He doesn’t defend the puck and roll, can’t rebound and doesn’t protect the rim. He gets blocks but doesn’t stop teams from attacking

I do think they went further than they should !? As a Pacers fan I don’t expect them to get a high seed next year !?

You guys are crazy, let’s trade Mathurin for a worse bench scorer who is 6’5.

First thing the Pacers need to do is trade Myles Turnstyle. He's an exploit for other teams and the weakest link of their starting unit. Can't mask his lack of defense once Pascal is signed long term. Let's be real the Pacers don't want him. Reason he's there is bc the other 29 teams dont want him either.

I want to keep Nesmith because that guy is on a steal of a deal and he puts out max effort every game on defense. I think Mathurin is among the highest potential players on the team, but I'm growing very sick of seeing him screaming "You can't guard me!" celebrating getting a foul called then falling asleep on defense on the other side of the floor, where he has no desire to guard anyone despite having some impressive physical gifts to do so. Meanwhile, second and low first round sophomore and rookie picks Nembhard and Shephard have progressed rapidly and play hard just about every game, including very deep into the Playoffs. Mathurn has the potential to become an All-Star, but he seems very content to just be a scorer and nothing else. Injury aside, he is half way through his rookie contract and people are still talking about he's too young and inexperienced to play defense, and I'm not buying it when other rookies are doing a much better job and putting in much better defensive effort. Thus, I'm not entirely opposed to moving Mathurin if there is a killer deal available to significantly improve the team.

Please watch a player before you make a podcast it makes it look like you don’t know what your talking about

Yall sound like Neismith fanboys. He is the wink link. Mathurin is only in trade talks for a pascal type acquisition. Good benches don't win championships the starting lineup does.

for the record wes is smart, but am stopping watching when he mentioned Bennedict Mathurin, wonrg idea buddy. Next MJ right there, Bennedict Mathurin!

I'm not understanding why Benn is not able to improve on Defense and learn to make quicker reads and then..you have a player who can be a good defender a connective piece that can get the ball and either shoot or drive to the basket and draw fouls. With him continuing to progress on defense and making quicker reads as a connector he is a great threat. Keep him. Develop him.

If you are trading Mathurin to the Spurs, would Sochan be the target?

Outside of a Toppin/ smith leaving I’m good with sitting on this roster and seeing them play for another season before I move any of these pieces around.

Mathurin is a bucket can’t wait till next year 💛💙

They are NOT giving away Mathurin!!!! He's too good and is a DOGG! they will trade Topin or McConnell BUT NOT Mathurin... Oh and he gets to the Freethrow line like no other and he plays GREAT defense!

You are fools like Carlisle (Thibs 2.0)-hope Obi goes somewhere where he’s truly & finally appreciated-70% 2 pt FG & 40% 3 pt FG-career year & still no respect when he’s also one of the most exciting & fun NBA players to watch! Finney-Smith is an old overrated joke!