Bennedict Mathurin’s first game as a member of the LA Clippers has been completed. It started rough and had a few bright spots in the end, but overall, it is a bit different than what the fanbase expected, and he will ultimately be given the benefit of the doubt that the jitters took over.
Mathurin had every right to be nervous. His trade to the Clippers was the first time he had been moved in his career, and he has a high level of hype to live up to, as LA anticipates him becoming a superstar in the future; these are circumstances the Indiana Pacers never dealt him with.
Thus, fans hope the next game will be a better performance from the 23-year-old, with him feeling more comfortable and under less pressure in the second unit.
Bennedict Mathurin’s nervousness only affected his jumpshot
Bennedict Mathurin had the most minutes off the LA Clippers’ bench versus the Houston Rockets because his aim was targeted at stuffing the stat sheet. He was aware his jumper was off, and more importantly, did not stop shooting, yet he went out of his way to emphasize making plays and hustling on defense.
Overall, Mathurin finished with nine points, seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and zero turnovers, shooting 4-13 from the field and 0-2 from beyond the arc. Literally, the only flaw in his debut was putting the ball in the hoop.
Out of everything, his athleticism was most notable. Mathurin was jumping passes to force turnovers, gliding down the court to stop fast breaks, and constantly using his quickness to disrupt the Rockets’ driving lanes.
Additionally, he had a nice and-one near the end of the game and dished out a beautiful, near full-court dime to Jordan Miller, which stood out, despite it not resulting in an assist.
However, when it came to his jumper, it seemed like something was holding him back mentally. The hope is that it was just first-game butterflies, but with the LA scene new to him, it could be a lack of confidence or the mental burden of proving the Clippers right.
Granted, he has a lot on his plate, as a beloved center for the Clippers, that meant the world to everyone, was traded to the Indiana Pacers.
That said, time will tell the truth about Mathurin. One game is not enough of a sample size to make a reasonable judgment, so for now, Clippers fans will excuse his poor shooting with the idea that stage fright was the reason he could not find the bottom of the net.