The Indiana Pacers see Bennedict Mathurin’s development on both ends of the floor as one of the most important variables in the franchise’s long-term trajectory. The future ceiling of this young core hinges on him as much as anyone.

“I’ve said this since the beginning of training camp last year,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of the second-year wing, “‘Benn Mathurin has the ability to be a high-level, two-way player in this league.’ He’s made strides defensively. It’s going to be very important in his career and for our organization and franchise that he gets there.”

It’s not hard to see why the Pacers have that kind of faith in him after drafting him at sixth overall and him being the team’s first draft pick to make All-Rookie 1st team since Rik Smits in 1989. In his first season, he was a scoring machine off the bench that drew fouls like a perennial All Star but struggled on the defensive side of the ball with lapses in both focus and judgment.

“It’s work. To have that kind of responsibility on both ends of the floor is rare,” Carlisle said, “but he is a young player that has the capacity to take on that kind of challenge. We’ve got to be right there beside him to show him the right ways to do things. … He wants all these responsibilities so it’s not like this is a hard sell.” 

Why are the Pacers so intent on pushing Mathurin to be great on both ends of the floor? Well duh, they’d love for every player to be great on both ends but they clearly see the potential for that to be a real possibility with him. Even during his rookie season, he’s been clear in interviews that his goals are aligned with what the team sees as possible—become one of the best two-way players in the league—and he’s never been found lacking in regards to confidence.

“He realizes and we’ve reinforced to him that for him to be the kind of player that he can be and for us to advance as a franchise that he’s got to become really good at both ends,” Carlisle said after the second day of training camp. “First two days, he’s doing a lot of really good things to take that challenge.”

With Tyrese Haliburton set in place as a franchise centerpiece leading the offense, the Pacers still need that second star to pair with him to truly have a chance at eventually competing for a championship. Developing one from within for a small-market team like the Pacers is the most realistic way to get that done. While it’s certainly possible that players will be attracted to potentially playing with a pass-first player like Haliburton, there’s no guarantee they ever find the right deal or have the right timing in free agency to make that happen. Mathurin is the team’s best shot on the roster to truly elevate the team’s ceiling to another level by being that second star.

“The thing that young players somehow have to understand is the goal of being a star has to also meld with being a great teammate,” Carlisle said, “and being a guy that’s great on both sides of the ball, being the kind of player that a championship roster can be built around. These are great challenges and great motivations for him and so many of the guys on our team.”

Both Carlisle and Myles Turner have noticed Mathurin maturing more as a person as he becomes a better teammate and are seeing the strides he’s making on both ends.

“Benn’s going to take that next step,” Turner told reporters on media day. “I’m telling y’all his mentality won’t allow him to fail. That’s what I like about Benn a lot. He obviously puts the work in, you see his demeanor, but he also brings an edge to this team that I think we’ve kind of been missing for a little bit. … We’re going to see what happens. I’m really excited for him.”

Just two days into training camp, Mathurin has made it to the finals once already in the team’s new one-on-one drill that they’ll be doing each day in camp in an effort to improve their individual defense and he’s even shown growth in avoiding negative reactions to non-calls and continuing to play through a moment when the whistle doesn’t go his way.

While the Pacers are eager for him to blossom into his full potential, they know they can’t just hand him the starting job without him earning it either. Mathurin is competing with Buddy Hield and a potentially crowded wing rotation that all deserve minutes as the team preaches accountability in their quest for winning basketball. While Mathurin and Haliburton are still figuring each other out on the floor, Hield and Haliburton have the most chemistry and experience playing together of any pairing on the roster.

The Pacers had a decent amount of success last season before Haliburton got hurt when they eventually began starting two capable perimeter defenders in Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith but both players will likely be reserves this season. With Bruce Brown stepping into the starting lineup that would give them one very good perimeter defender but they still need another.

While Obi Toppin has been working on improving on defense, moving laterally has not been one of his strengths so far in his career. With him likely sliding in as the starting four, that leaves that one wing spot left where ideally you’d need that final starter to be able to guard one of the two better scoring perimeter options on the opposing team. Brown believes that Mathurin can be that guy.

“Benn Mathurin … I think can be extremely good on both ends of the floor if he wants to,” Brown told reporters. “… He’s strong enough and quick enough to be an elite defender in this league, so I’m trying to push him that way.”

If his rookie season is any indication, Mathurin still has plenty of room for improvement but he is intent on “taking each matchup personally” in his quest to reach the potential his teammates and coaches all see. He just has to prove it on the court.

“This is part of the uncomfortable question. How much do you give it to him and how much does he have to earn it?” Carlisle said. “This is one of the most competitive young players that I’ve ever been around. A guy that has an insatiable capacity to work and get better. He’s constantly asking me and the rest of the coaching staff to coach him harder and harder. He’s made amazing strides as a teammate, as a guy that understands the details and nuances of the game. Stay tuned. He’s learned an awful lot in a year.”