One often hears about the evolution of the NBA, but far less often do we get concrete examples of how it happens. Pacers rookie Benedict Mathurin is a case in point. Today we will discuss the persona of Benedict Mathurin, an NBA rookie who has managed to attract attention due to his diligence and hard work.
If you are interested in sports and gambling, you should pay attention to cricket betting sites. But first, let’s understand the biography of the rising star of the NBA.
Benedict Maturin is a player with a contrarian past
Benedict’s biography is a melting pot in which multiple factors that shaped his personality complement each other. For example, Creoles descended from marriages of French, and dark-skinned people cooked their food in such cauldrons. Mathurin, who speaks fluent English, French, Spanish, and Creole, always emphasizes how much he appreciates his multicultural ancestry.
“I always had a hell of a lot of confidence in myself because of my roots and where I come from. I’m a Canadian of Haitian descent, raised by a strong woman. I grew up in Montreal, in a small apartment, in a large family where I was the youngest. Along with my mother, my older brother Dominique and my older sister Jennifer.
I loved that my mother raised us with love and respect for our roots. The music, the customs, and the food are an essential part of who I am. And that’s why I always tell everyone what a fantastic city Montreal is and what a particular country Canada is. There are so many different cultures and people coexisting together. Everyone has to visit this country at least once,” Maturin said.
You only have to look at how excited he was when head coach Rick Carlyle secretly invited Maturin’s mom to the Pacers’ training facility to cook his favorite rice with beans and chicken. It was a gift on the occasion of his first NBA game.
Maturin’s shot
Any mention of Maturin rests on his shot. Numerous draft picks have discussed it, and analysts have discussed it on television. Even Pacers coach Rick Carlyle acknowledged that this quality was one of the deciding factors for Indiana: “We picked him knowing he was a player of great ability, a consistent shot at the NBA level, tremendous potential, and a high ceiling to grow from.”
Maturin has started living up to expectations without wasting time getting off the fuse. As of today, his scoring average is:
- 19.9 points on total realization;
- 45.6 percent and 45.3 percent from beyond the arc.
And on a solid 6.3 attempts.
“All the coaches told me to focus on my shots. But even though I love to throw, I didn’t like to be deterred. I didn’t want to be called a player who specialized in 3&D. I don’t want to be solely someone who can throw from behind the arc and play defense. I know I can do much more; I need time to prove it.
Maybe Maturin won’t have to prove anything and won’t have to play against the coach’s guidelines. After all, the demands on that same 3&D position are changing. It’s no longer enough to graze at the three-point line while waiting for the passer to get fed. Instead, you must pass rush, maneuver between the screens, and attack after a series of shifts. And it’s Maturin, with his pronounced shooting ability, his penchant for versatility, and his generous portion of athleticism, which can be the face of the metamorphosis at a given position. Benedict is very selective and minimalist in his actions after receiving the ball. He wastes no time swinging his guardian with a dribble; adventurous attempts to play through the post-up are not his style either.
He goes for the foul if Maturin doesn’t have a solid opportunity to attack with minimal resistance. Most rookies prefer to get away with hasty throws. Maturin is more mature. His ten field-goal attempts are 3.9 from the free-throw line. That’s more than reasonable for a freshman. The brightest members of the league’s new generation, like Franz Wagner, Lamelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, and Jaylen Green, averaged about two attempts in their first seasons. Going after free throws and following them up (he shoots from the line with 83% accuracy) allows him to remain effective even when he doesn’t get a shot off the play.
We should not forget Maturin’s athleticism, which he demonstrated in college.
This guy is aware of his mistakes and is willing to improve
“He’s the kind of guy who knows how to listen. He came to me three or four times saying, ‘Coach, be more demanding of me. I want you to ask the fullest of me. I want the truth, even the most unpleasant truth. I want to correct my mistakes. I want to be as good as I can be,” Rick Carlyle told me.
0.1 blocked shots and 0.3 steals per game are not the numbers a 2-foot-2 guard with a 2.6-meter arm span and Maturin’s mobility should have. Benedict is not a bad defender, but he is dependent. He makes good decisions and takes position only when his teammates do. As a result, he cannot get into position and coordinate the defense around him. In addition, he lacks aggression on defense. Maturin does not intimidate his opponent even with the seeming threat of an interception and tends to thwart rather than block the shot. Being overly adventuristic on defense and relying on interceptions from the back is unacceptable, but his overtly conservative approach does nothing to improve his security. Maturin’s speed can translate into constant movement in the paint, and his size can become an obstacle on the court.
Focusing on your opponent is required. When fully engaged, Maturin has the mobility to bypass screeners and quickly regain position in situations where he is cut off. The speed, the deep landing of the defensive stance, the raised hands – he has it all and knows how to use it. What he lacks is stability, the lack of which often lies in too much energy expended. He should try to avoid contact in order not to waste energy on recovering his position. By reducing those episodes, he’ll go from just being a good defender on the ball to a great personnel player.
“Working on defense is my top priority. You can’t make the team better by playing only one half in the NBA. It all starts with the little things: shifts, moving on your feet, and finding the balance of effort expended offensively and defensively. That’s very important. I’ve read that I’ve been called “the most NBA-ready rookie,” and I disagree with that. That’s some nonsense. You can’t be ready for that: different speeds, levels of play, and rules. You can’t be ready; you can only adapt, which takes time. That’s what I’m working on right now.”
