Ben Sheppard may not have much in the way of NBA headlines yet, but he does have one very noticeable calling card: that mustache. For now, though, the Pacers are hoping his actual game starts to matter a whole lot more than his facial hair.
That hasn’t been the case so far. Sheppard, a late first-round pick in the 2023 draft, came into a class that did the Pacers no favors, and his early NBA track record has been thin.
In theory, he profiles as a solid role player. In practice, he’s been tough to keep on the floor.
Still, that story could change this season.
Indiana is sorting through its wing depth and trying to find its fourth option behind Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard, and new free-agent addition Kelly Oubre Jr. There’s room for another player to earn real minutes, but nothing will be handed out. The bench is crowded with candidates, including fellow 2023 draft disappointment Jarace Walker, fringe names like Jalen Slawson and Quenton Jackson, and more specialized options such as Jay Huff.
At the start of the year, the Pacers will likely stick to an eight-man rotation, which could leave all of those players on the outside looking in. But as the season goes on, the reality changes.
Indiana will need more bodies it can trust. Sheppard has a path to being one of them.
The bigger question is what kind of version of Sheppard the Pacers actually need.
If he wants to stick, he may have to look a lot like Nesmith and Oubre in the way he approaches the job. That’s the mold Indiana seems to want him to follow.
The Pacers still have clear needs in three areas: shooting, perimeter defense, and transition play. They don’t have elite shooting beyond Nesmith and Tyrese Haliburton, even if several others in the rotation can hit shots.
They also don’t have a true guard-stopper they can throw at opposing creators when things get messy. And as always, they need players who can keep the pace humming in transition.
On the shooting front, Sheppard took a real step. He got to league average from 3 last season, hitting 36%, and his work from the right corner stood out even more, landing well above 40%.
Defensively, he may already be Indiana’s best emergency answer. The Belmont product has enough size and strength to hold up, but he’s also quick enough to stay with smaller guards.
And when it comes to running, the Pacers already made their feelings clear when they drafted him. This is a front office that doesn’t bring in someone who clashes with its identity.
So the talent is there, at least enough to matter. What remains is opportunity. Sheppard can be a difference-maker, but only if Indiana gives him the runway to become one.
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Haliburtons return is the obvious reason for the optimism after an outstanding 2024-25 season and an All-NBA Third Team nod, but Indiana also made a real commitment to adding more heft around him by trading for Ivica Zubac from the Clippers. The move cost the Pacers a protected first-round pick, which ended up going to Los Angeles after the lottery results, so the pressure now is not just to look promising on paper but to show the upgrade was worth the price. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Face A Delicate Tyrese Haliburton Decision Next Season
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Haliburton signed a five-year extension with Indiana in 2023, and the Pacers are clearly thinking beyond the opening months of next season. The goal is to have him ready when it matters most, with the broader expectation that he will anchor a strong starting group for 2026-27, but the path from opening night to playoff time may require patience along the way. [Read more 🡒]