Basketball coach Rick Carlisle indicates that Bennedict Mathurin will likely assume the starting small forward position for Indiana.
In an exciting development for the Indiana Pacers, head coach Rick Carlisle has announced that Bennedict Mathurin will be the starting shooting guard for the team in the upcoming 2025-26 season.
Mathurin, who has shown potential as a 20+ point-per-game scorer, will take over the position previously held by Andrew Nembhard. Nembhard, on the other hand, will move to point guard to replace Tyrese Haliburton, who is expected to be out for the season due to injury.
The small forward spot for the Pacers remains uncertain for the upcoming season. With Mathurin moving to shooting guard, it is likely that another wing player on the roster or a potential new acquisition will fill the small forward position.
Carlisle believes that Mathurin can grow into a stronger passer and make better decisions on the court. During the first half of the 2024-25 season, Mathurin started for the Pacers, and he started 49 of his 72 games with Indiana in the previous season.
In a notable performance, Mathurin scored a playoff career-high 27 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, going 9-12 from the field and 2-3 from beyond the arc. His efficiency and adaptability, like that of Kawhi Leonard, have been highlighted by Carlisle.
With Haliburton's absence, Mathurin has the potential to be a 20+ point-per-game scorer for the Pacers in the 2025-26 season. Pascal Siakam is expected to lead the team in scoring, with Mathurin having a strong case to be the second-highest scorer.
Carlisle made this announcement during a podcast interview with Caitlin Cooper of Basketball, She Wrote, with a tweet about the announcement being posted on August 5, 2025. The NBA is running less Pick and Roll compared to previous seasons, but it's not clear if all teams play the same.
The Pacers are currently in a phase of roster reconfiguration, with notable absences such as Haliburton and Myles Turner. The team will rely on other wings or bench contributors to step up and fill the void left by these absences.
[1] Caitlin Cooper, Basketball, She Wrote Podcast, August 5, 2025 [2] Caitlin Cooper, Twitter post, August 5, 2025
- The Pacers' roster reconfiguration for the 2025-26 season includes the transition of Bennedict Mathurin from shooting guard to a potential 20+ point-per-game scorer, a role previously held by Tyrese Haliburton who is expected to be out for the season.
- Bennedict Mathurin's impressive performance in the NBA, shown in his playoff career-high of 27 points in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, has been compared to players like Kawhi Leonard due to his efficiency and adaptability.
- As the Pacers gear up for the 2025-26 season, Mathurin and Pascal Siakam may take the top spots in terms of scoring, with Mathurin having a strong case to be the second-highest scorer on the team.
