Bennedict Mathurin Talks Pacers, Haliburton, Call of Duty and More in B/R Interview

Bennedict Mathurin wants to clear something up.

While some NBA fans may have been introduced to the Indiana Pacers rookie when he was attempting to guard James Harden in the fourth quarter of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers and fell to the ground as the 10-time All-Star unleashed a move and hit a three, it wasn't the ankle-breaker it appeared to be on the broadcast.

"My welcome-to-the-NBA moment—well it was not even really a welcome-to-the-NBA moment—but it was when me and James Harden had the little thing where he stepped on my foot and everybody thought it was an ankle-breaker," he told Bleacher Report.

Mathurin has since proved he is ready to hold his own against some of the league's best and has already faced Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, Harden and Joel Embiid of the 76ers, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, and DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine of the Chicago Bulls.

The No. 6 pick of the 2022 draft has quickly surpassed elevated expectations through his first eight games with averages of 20.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

He is shooting 42.9 percent from deep, is aggressive when seeking out his shot, attacks the basket with an explosive first step, makes plays in transition and can take advantage of the spacing on the outside when defenders collapse on Tyrese Haliburton and other Pacers.

"The biggest change I'd probably say is spacing," Mathurin said when asked about the adjustment from the college game to the NBA. "The spacing is way different. Guys are also bigger and stronger with a lot more spacing. The game is also faster."

While he was a Pac-12 Player of the Year and consensus All-American during his collegiate career at Arizona, he said the faster, more space-oriented game in the NBA "for sure" suits his style of play better.

That was fairly clear when he dropped 32 points behind six made three-pointers in a win over the Nets. The rookie already has more than 25 points in three of his eight games and has been an absolute game-changer off the bench for Indiana.

He's an early Rookie of the Year and Sixth Man of the Year candidate, but it is the behind-the-scenes work that has propelled him to this level this fast.

Mathurin said the biggest key to his success is "just being consistent. I watch a lot of film, so I know how the defense is going to play me, and I just try to take advantage of it. I'm just staying confident and knowing what to do at the right time."

Confidence was not an issue even before his career started.

The guard turned heads in June when he said LeBron James is "going to have to show me he's better than me" in comments that made waves but were more about confidence in himself rather than a knock of one of the greatest players of all time.

"I won't say it out loud because last time I did it ended up all over social media," he said with a laugh when asked who he is most looking forward to playing as his rookie season continues. "But LeBron James, Damian Lillard and Paul George."

A career of facing players like James in the NBA isn't the only new path he is taking this year.

He partnered with Call of Duty off the court and sees the game as a learning process as well.

"I love it," the Arizona product said. "I'm not a big gamer, to be honest, but I feel like I'm starting. All my friends told me this is a good place to start. I tried to play, but it was pretty hard. Everyone is good at it already. But I'm about to start a new gaming career."

Again, though, confidence is not an issue since he said he is "probably" going to win if there was a tournament featuring all the Pacers playing the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II game that recently launched.

While some of the Pacers may have difficulty defeating Mathurin in Call of Duty, the future is bright for the team on the court.

Indiana isn't a realistic contender this season and may end up trading big man Myles Turner, who has openly discussed the possibility of being moved to the Los Angeles Lakers. But there has been plenty of reason for optimism amid a 3-5 start.

Mathurin looks like the real deal at 20 years old, and Haliburton is a star in the making at 22 as a scorer and facilitator who can control the game and threaten for a double-double every time he steps on the floor.

There are also some solid role players in place with 29-year-old Buddy Hield, 22-year-old Jalen Smith and 25-year-old Chris Duarte, plus the potential for solid draft capital as the youngsters learn to play with Haliburton as the franchise cornerstone.

"It's great," Mathurin said of playing alongside the primary ball-handler. "He likes to pass the ball, he's really unselfish and he's a really good team player. He's looking forward to winning a lot of games, just like me. I really love playing with him."

That is surely music to the ears of Pacers fans looking ahead to that bright future.