BENNEDICT Mathurin

Last season, playing for the Clippers, Mathurin appeared in 54 games and averaged 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 30.0 minutes a night. He shot 43.0 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from three and 86.9 percent from the free-throw line, with a true shooting mark of 57.5 percent. His usage rate sat at 24.6 percent, showing he was a significant part of the Clippers' offense, though his plus-minus for the season was minus-2.7. Those are last season's numbers, from his time in Los Angeles, not his current production with New Orleans. They give a sense of his scoring upside, but his role with the Pelicans so far has looked different.

Mathurin has played four games for New Orleans so far this season. On October 16 against Washington, he scored 10 points with 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 17.4 minutes in a win. On October 14 against Dallas, he had 6 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 19.0 minutes, also a win. On October 8 against Miami, he managed 8 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in 14.4 minutes in a loss. And on October 6 against Oklahoma City, he posted 13 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in 16.6 minutes in a win. The Pelicans have gone 3-1 in those four games, with Mathurin contributing modest scoring and some playmaking off the bench.

Mathurin is not on the injury report heading into this stretch of the season. He has no injury history listed, which is a positive sign for a player who is still establishing his footing with a new team early in the year. Staying available matters for Mathurin right now, since he is working to carve out a consistent role in New Orleans after signing his two-year deal in September. Health was not an issue for him last season with the Clippers either, where he appeared in 54 games. For now, there is nothing on the health side slowing down his transition to the Pelicans.

Mathurin's name showed up in several offseason roundups before his move became official. A September 15 Southwest Notes piece grouped him alongside Mavericks-related names like Scheyer, Flagg and Stewart. A September 11 Central Notes roundup mentioned him in the same piece covering the Bulls, Cavaliers, Pacers and Pistons. The most concrete item came on September 10, when it was reported that Mathurin signed a two-year contract with the Pelicans. Then on September 5, a Cap Observations piece touching on the Pelicans, Cavaliers and Raptors referenced the stretch provision in the same breath as his situation. Those roundups capture how much his free agency was discussed before he landed in New Orleans.