Johnny Furphy’s return to the Pacers won’t happen overnight, but Indiana doesn’t sound the least bit worried about the long game.
In an interview on Setting the Pace, Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said the team still sees the second-year wing as a major part of what it’s building. Furphy is working back from a torn ACL, and Buchanan said the recovery is moving in the right direction even if there’s still a long road ahead.
“Well, when you see him in the gym, I mean, he's doing some shooting, there's no lump or anything like that. If you were to see him out there on the court, you wouldn't know he had an injury. But obviously, there's barriers and steps and paths that he's got a cross as he comes back from this injury.”
Buchanan also made it clear the Pacers aren’t interested in forcing the issue. The goal is simple: get Furphy all the way back before he steps into game action.
“Obviously, it's a serious injury that's going to take some time. But overall, I think our medical staff and Johnny would tell you they're in a good place and optimistic that he'll be back this season.
I'm not sure exactly when that will be yet, but that's typically anywhere from a 10 to 12 month recovery. And you want him to be completely healthy and feeling good and feeling strong and feeling confident before you put them out there.”
The injury came at a bad time for Furphy’s development, Buchanan said, because the Pacers believed he was set up for a valuable stretch of minutes. Even so, the organization’s opinion of him hasn’t budged.
“It's unfortunate because of would have been a great opportunity for him to finish out last season with some minutes for his development. But still very, very big Johnny Furphy fans in our house. And I think that his future is very, very bright.”
A big part of that optimism comes from how Furphy has changed physically. Buchanan pointed to the added strength and weight as a major reason the Pacers think his game is trending up.
“I think the physical growth that you see from him, just from his overall body is the strength that he added, the extra weight he added, that created a little more confidence in him.”
That extra bulk, Buchanan said, has helped Furphy’s relentless style show up more consistently. The energy was always there, but now the body is better equipped to handle it.
“He's always been a player that plays like he's going 45 miles an hour and a 35 mile an hour zone. He's going hard, he's fearless and sometimes early on in his career, his body type wasn't conducive to do some of the things that he wanted to do.”
Indiana noticed that and made strength work a priority.
“I think he recognized that, our staff recognized that, and really emphasized adding strength, adding power, adding explosiveness to his body and his frame, and I think we saw it.”
Before the injury, Buchanan said Furphy was already starting to show the payoff. He was attacking the rim, taking on tough defensive assignments and playing with more force than many expected.
“You saw moments...he attacks the rim offensively, he wants to guard the other team's best player, he plays more physical than you anticipate him to, and I think he really found his way in our system this year before the injury.”
Buchanan also believes Furphy was beginning to slow the game down mentally, which matters in Indiana’s fast-paced setup. The rookie learning curve, he said, was starting to flatten.
“As a rookie, everything's moving so fast. You're a step behind on a closeout, or you're too slow making a cut, or you're not ready to catch and shoot.
And I think all that started developing. We were seeing that blossom with him last season before the injury.”
That fit is a big reason the Pacers remain so high on him. Buchanan said Furphy’s style lines up cleanly with the way Indiana wants to play.
“I think he's a terrific fit. From the night we drafted him, we all felt like he was a terrific fit with our system because he's a guy who sprints, he cuts, he crashes and he wants to defend. There's a spot in our system, and in our ecosystem for him.”
For Buchanan, the injury hasn’t changed the bigger picture.
“Like I said, we love his toughness, and we love where his career is going despite the injury. I think we'll get him back on track. And I think once he gains his confidence, you'll continue to see him make big strides.”
Furphy’s immediate job is to finish the recovery process, but the Pacers are clearly thinking beyond that. The timeline may be uncertain, yet Indiana’s belief in his future remains exactly where it was before the injury.
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