Pacers release Summer League schedule and roster with a couple of surprises
The Summer Pacers will have some familiar faces with them in Las Vegas.
The Pacers released their Summer League schedule and roster on Tuesday afternoon, which included rising second-year players Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard along with soon-to-be third-year big man Isaiah Jackson.
Considering their prominent role in the rotation as rookies last season, it is surprising to see Mathurin and Nembhard on the roster. Even moreso than IJax, since the more organized runs they can find for the big fella the better.
Seems safe to assume that Mathurin and Nembhard won’t play more than a game or two, but having all three in the mix can make for a much more productive summer session for rookies Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard.
Practices begin on Saturday as the Summer Pacers will practice for a few days before heading to Vegas at the end of next week. Having the that trio of players who know what they are doing, playing alongside the rooks (which sets up as a perfect lineup, btw) should help boost the learning curve and raise the intensity at the St. V’s Center.
Then if that lineup can play at least one game together? Perfection!
Not only a treat for fans to see the rookies with some solid players around them, but also a great experience for the young guys to have those young mentors on the court to help make things run smoothly.
Another roster vet, Kendall Brown is also in the mix and after a frustrating rookies season as a two-way player with too many injuries, Brown will surely be looking for all of the reps he can get. Other notable rookie, Mojave King, Isaiah Wong and two-way undrafted rook, Oscar Tshiebwe will also get plenty of run, particularly when Mathurin, Nembhard and IJax shut it down.
In general, Summer League is always intriguing thanks to rookie hype combined with a dearth of sports options in early July. But this Summer Pacers roster raises the intrigue several notches.
Here’s the game schedule for Vegas:
Sat., July 8 vs. Washington - 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2
Mon., July 10 vs. Orlando - 8:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Wed., July 12 vs. Oklahoma City - 7:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Fri., July 14 vs. Dallas - 6:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV
Sat.- Sun. - Consolation Round TBD
Mon., July 17 - Championship Game - 9 p.m. ET
This is the best Summer League squad I have ever seen from the Pacers. Of course Bennedict, Andrew and Jackson might only play in two games, if not just one. I am really excited to see how Oscar does. He could be the steal of the century for the Pacers.