Bennedict Mathurin wants to quickly establish himself in the NBA

It may seem good to be selected in a certain ranking, but most of all I want a place where I can make an impact from the start, Montrealer said via videoconference on Thursday. I want to help fast. It is also a question of development.

The draft will take place June 23 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Quebecer will hear his name between 5th and 7th rank-in the order of the Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers, the three clubs where he has had training so far.

Other experts see Mathurin selected in the 8th tier, by the New Orleans Pelicans. The principal also spoke with other clubs at the NBA’s hope camp last month, in Chicago.

Before rising to fame in the NCAA, the Montreal North player opted in in 2018 for the NBA Academy of Latin America, located in Mexico. There are coaches with experience with the pros, in the NCAA and internationally.

It was a great experience, said Mathurin, who will be 20 years old on Sunday. Living abroad and living alone, it helped for what I could live with later.

I was able to meet extraordinary people and understand what it takes to move to another level.

A 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) and 95 kg (210 lb) athlete, Mathurin then played for two seasons at the University of Arizona.

Pac-12 Division Player of the Year, Mathurin improved his points-per-game average from 10.8 to 17.7 from his rookie season to second. He was named one of 10 Elite Wooden All-Americans after his second campaign.

Mathurin said on Thursday that each of his skills have gone well. When asked about the Pacers, he said he finds himself doing well with them, noting the talent of players like Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, but also the presence of a well -known coach like Rick Carlisle.

Carlisle’s roots are in upstate New York.

Fifteenth in terms of NBA wins, the 62-year-old is also president of the circuit coaches association.

Since 2014, Indiana has lost the first round five consecutive years and has not made it to the playoffs for the next two seasons. The team is coming through the worst season since the mid-1980s, being 25-57.

Indiana had a lot of success in the 1990s, with Reggie Miller and Mark Jackson in particular.

The family is in everyone’s heart

For Mathurin, the road to the top was marked by tragedy.

When he was 12, his older sister Dominique died in a bicycle accident, at the age of 15.

He’s the reason I’m moving forward, Mathurin said Thursday. He’s why I want to be the best at what I do.

Mathurin and her older sister Jennifer found the strength to pass the test, thanks especially to the sport.

Jennifer played basketball for four years at North Carolina State University. She is already an assistant coach at Bishop’s University, on the women’s side.

She was my idol and she still is, Mathurin said. He always pushes me to improve myself. He made sure to guide me well so that I could be successful.

On Thursday, he also said this: It was thanks to him that I became a very confident person.

Some experts have noticed the explosive side of Quebecer, as well as his willingness to shoot and the success rate of his shots, especially once he gets a pass.

The Wildcats have been 33-4 overall this season. In the March Madness round of 16, they lost to the University of Houston, 72-60.

Mathurin had 15 points in this game, after collecting 18 and 30 points in the first two games of the tournament.

Arizona was led by Sean Miller in its first season, and by Tommy Lloyd in its second. Mathurin argued that the move helped him become more versatile because the former emphasizes defense and the latter on attack.

Last year, Mathurin helped Canada win bronze at the FIBA ​​U-19 World Cup in Latvia.

He grew up in the same corner of the metropolis as Luguentz Dort, which well made his place in the Oklahoma City Thunder for three years. He considers Dort a good friend.

The home of the Nets has hosted a draft every year since 2013 except 2020, due to the pandemic.