Many of the teams with the lowest expectations have been solid so far. Plus, checking the panic meter on Kawhi Leonard, the Warriors and the Timberwolves.
One of the players I’ve enjoyed most to begin the season is Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin.
He may not snag Rookie of the Year—barring injury, that seems likely to land with Orlando’s Paolo Banchero, and deservedly so—but Mathurin often looks beyond his years as a scorer.
The guard plays through contact in the paint and shoots better than 70% from inside of three feet. He’s a knockdown shooter who connects on better than 40% of his attempts from deep.