Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

That’s because second-year shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, the team announced. Mathurin has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his right shoulder.

“Mathurin suffered the injury in the Pacers’ game against the Mavericks on Tuesday, a game in which he scored 19 points on 7 of 16 shooting,” wrote Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said before their game Thursday against the Timberwolves that Mathurin would be out at least a week but they were hopeful the injury would not be long term.”

Mathurin, 21, is 6-foot-6 and is averaging 14.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists, shooting 45 percent from the field and 37 percent on 3-pointers. He was a member of the All-Rookie team last season and finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting. Indiana selected him with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.

A candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Mathurin is expected to be at full strength in time for next season. As Dopirak noted, Indiana will likely have to turn to the likes of rookie guard Ben Sheppard, rookie forward Jarace Walker and veteran small forward Doug McDermott to help replace Mathurin.

The Pacers (35-29) entered Saturday in third place in the Central Division and eighth in the Eastern Conference.