INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton was speaking to reporters after the first official day of practice for his team in 2024-25 when he was asked a simple question: have any of your teammates stood out so far during minicamp and training camp?
With less than a second required to think, Haliburton replied. “Ben Sheppard has been ballin’,” he began. “Ben Sheppard has looked really good. I think he just looks more comfortable in his skin, more comfortable as an NBA player. I told him, ‘I don’t know what you did this summer, but keep doing that’.”
Sheppard, a second-year wing, was a late first-round pick in 2023. He steadily rose through the ranks with Indiana last year, starting the season as a deep bench player with most of his playing time coming in the G League. He then became a depth piece after Bruce Brown was traded away, then moved up the rotation ladder again after Buddy Hield was dealt. By the All-Star break, he was playing basically every night. When his teammate Bennedict Mathurin went down with a season-ending shoulder injury in March, Sheppard became a mainstay in the rotation, averaging over 19 minutes per game the rest of the regular season.
Even as a first-year player, he was relied on in the postseason. He played in all 17 of Indiana’s playoff games, including two starts during the Eastern Conference Finals. He knocked down 38% of his threes on that stage while taking nearly three per outing, and he hustled on defense. It’s rare that a rookie can be trusted in a postseason rotation, but Sheppard proved that he should play.
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“He’s a very reliable player. Always goes hard, always does his job. [He] takes the right shots. Probably passes up shots he should take,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Sheppard. “[He] takes defense as seriously as offense. He’s very mature, and he’s always ready.”
Last year, Sheppard was so laser focused on making the right play and not making mistakes that he would pass up open shots. He tried to keep the ball, and himself, moving — a noble cause. But his teammates wanted him to let it fly. They bullied him into shooting more, and it paid off. In his first 28 games, he made 28.1% of his threes. That number grew to 33.3% in his final 29 outings.
Sheppard wants to build his game out from his first-year success. The confidence he is showing early in training camp is tangible, and he’s playing well enough that his teammates have noticed. He’s also grown on the court and feels more comfortable every day.
“I’d just say I have a bigger grasp of things,” Sheppard says of how he feels in year two. “Coming here last year, there’s a lot of intake and just learning the ropes of the NBA game. I feel more comfortable this year.”
Oct 8, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) dribbles as Memphis Grizzlies guard Shaquille Harrison (1) defends during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
Last year, Sheppard averaged 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. The Pacers net rating and defensive rating were both better with Sheppard on the court than off of it. Even with typical per game numbers, his impact could be felt thanks to his low-mistake style.
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This year, he hopes to improve upon that start to his career. Sheppard studied one of his teammates, Aaron Nesmith, to look at a key area where he thinks he can grow: attacking closeouts.
“I watched his tape this summer, just how aggressive he attacks closeouts and stuff like that,” Sheppard said of Nesmith. The game slowed down a ton for Nesmith last season. “Everyone’s attacking closeouts in the NBA, that’s just how the game is today.”
That study wasn’t just limited to Nesmith. Other Pacers players are effective at driving past wimpy closeouts and making plays. It’s an important trend in the NBA, and Sheppard noted that he looked at what Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, and Tyrese Haliburton were doing in those situations. Nesmith, by being a wing who saw the game slow down last season, is perhaps the best comparison for Sheppard as a player, though. That deep dive is more meaningful.
The Belmont product has been ascending ever since a strong NBA Draft combine last summer. He popped on both ends during his pre-draft workout for the Pacers, and he’s been reliable ever since. The hope in season two is for more success.
“It’s just being more aggressive and making the right play,” Sheppard said of his growth. “I think I’m one of those players that plays within our offense and is able to get people into things by making the right play,”
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Despite all of these notes, Sheppard’s spot in the rotation isn’t currently clear. He could be the backup two, or even the backup three. He might be on the outside looking in. Shooting and defense are immensely valuable skills, but different types of lineups have been operating as the second unit during training camp so far. Yet if Sheppard is an improved player, he should get playing time.
“I like Shepp,” guard Andrew Nembhard said of Sheppard on Sunday. “Shepp’s been hoopin’.”
Much of the focus on Indiana’s future is concentrated on their recent lottery picks. Sheppard’s future is similarly intriguing, though, and he’s ready for his second season with the Pacers.
New Orleans Pelicans (4-13, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (7-10, ninth in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Monday, 7 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pacers -5.5; over/under is 228
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans heads into the matchup against Indiana as losers of four straight games.
The Pacers are 5-2 in home games. Indiana ranks fifth in the league with 17.0 fast break points per game led by Bennedict Mathurin averaging 4.5.
The Pelicans have gone 1-7 away from home. New Orleans averages 14.2 turnovers per game and is 3-4 when turning the ball over less than opponents.
The Pacers are shooting 48.7% from the field this season, 0.2 percentage points higher than the 48.5% the Pelicans allow to opponents. The Pacers average 103.8 points per game, 14.3 fewer points than the 118.1 the Pacers allow to opponents.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Pascal Siakam is averaging 20.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Pacers.
Brandon Ingram is scoring 22.9 points per game and averaging 5.8 rebounds for the Pelicans.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 111.7 points, 38.9 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 9.0 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.5 points per game.
Pelicans: 1-9, averaging 100.2 points, 42.7 rebounds, 23.0 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.7 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Andrew Nembhard: out (knee), Isaiah Jackson: out for season (calf), James Wiseman: out for season (calf), Ben Sheppard: out (oblique).
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Pelicans: Zion Williamson: out (hamstring), Yves Missi: day to day (shoulder), CJ McCollum: day to day (thigh), Herbert Jones: out (shoulder ), Dejounte Murray: day to day (hand), Jose Alvarado: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Washington Wizards are still in the loss column after falling to the Indiana Pacers 115-103 inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Sunday evening.
The Wizards remained competitive throughout the game, especially after the first half when they led by two points going into halftime.
However, the Pacers pulled ahead in the second half and were able to cruise to a double-digit victory.
The Pacers had seven players scoring in double figures, including a team-high 22 points from Pascal Siakam. Myles Turner had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
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The Wizards were sorely missing their leading scorer in Jordan Poole, who was ruled out prior to the game with a hip injury. That put Kyshawn George into the starting lineup, where he scored 15 points while grabbing five rebounds and dishing out five assists.
All five starters scored in double figures with Bilal Coulibaly and Alex Sarr scoring 17 points apiece for the team-high.
With 11 consecutive losses, the Wizards remain at the bottom of the NBA standings, but there are some positives that the team will walk away with.
The Wizards will look to snap their losing streak back at home on Tuesday against the Chicago Bulls.
Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!
It’s a day that ends in the letter ‘y,’ so Indy Star sports columnist Gregg Doyel is acting strange online. Thankfully, this scenario has nothing to do with him acting creepy towards WNBA star Caitlin Clark, but instead, centers around the Ohio State Buckeyes blowing out the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday.
For anyone who may have forgotten, Doyel stole the show during Clark’s introductory press conference with the Indiana Fever by making the scene all about himself in one of the strangest moves ever seen in a media setting.
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Doyel introduced himself to Clark by saying “Real quick, let me do this,” before reportedly forming a heart with his hands, a gesture Clark does towards her family after games.
Clark replied by very awkwardly asking “You like that?” before things got even weirder.
“I like that you’re here. I like that you’re here,” Doyel responded. “Yeah, I do that at my family after every game, so it’s very cool,” Clark replied.
“Okay, start doing it to me, and we’ll get along just fine,” Doyel replied back.
Long story short, Doyel later apologized for his creepy actions but was ultimately suspended by the Indy Star for two weeks.
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Naturally, each time he shares his opinion on social media nowadays, he gets chirped into oblivion and Saturday was no exception.
Doyel took serious offense to Ohio State scoring a touchdown with 35 seconds left in regulation to ultimately cap off its win over Indiana 38-15. He specifically didn’t appreciate Ohio State quarterback Will Howard celebrating the nail-in-the-coffin touchdown by putting out a fake cigarette to mock Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti.
Doyel taking offense to a 23-year-old college quarterback celebrating a monumental win over an undefeated Indiana team is odd behavior, and folks in his mentions were sure to point out that fact.
Ohio State virtually guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff with the win over Indiana, and the Hoosiers should be safe as well, barring a colossal loss to Purdue to close out the regular season.
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