The Pacers had signed Mathews to a 10-day hardship contract because they needed a shooter, but Mathews barely made any shots. In five games in his first 10 days, he made just 2 of 13 field goal attempts (all three-pointers) and scored a total of nine points. However, the Pacers signed him to a second 10-day contract, and Mathews’ next 10 days were completely different than his first. He scored a combined 34 points on 9-of-18 shooting, including 7-of-15 from 3-point range in his final four games, and that was enough for the Pacers to announce Thursday that they signed Mathews to a standard, non-guaranteed contract for the rest of the season. They gave up forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl to clear space and make it happen.
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“The trust and faith they have in me,” Mathews said when asked Thursday what the difference was between the first contract and the second. “I’m grateful they gave me another 10 days after the first one. It’s hard to sit at home for a while. It took me a minute to get back into it, get in shape, get in playing shape. I’m grateful they gave me that opportunity.”
Mathews signed his first 10-day contract on Nov. 20, about a month after the Knicks waived him at the end of training camp. He returned home to Tennessee and was doing everything he could to stay in shape, but he couldn’t find much in high-level basketball to keep him in playing condition.
“The first 10 days were really about reconditioning for training camp,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Which he had with New York, but when you sit down for a month, even if you’re at home working out alone, it’s hard to simulate NBA practices, NBA training camp practices and NBA games. He worked very hard. There were strong signs that he was close.”
Once Mathews’ second 10-day contract expired, a decision had to be made between him and Robinson-Earl, who also signed two 10-day hardship waiver contracts before he was moved to a standard non-guaranteed deal. The Pacers were pleased with the performance of both players, but ultimately viewed Mathews’ shot as too important to let go. He is a career 38.1% shooter with 476 three-pointers in seven NBA seasons spent almost entirely in bench positions. With the injury-ravaged Pacers currently ranked 29th among the 30 NBA teams in 3-point shooting percentage, they need someone who will not only make shots but force opponents to guard them on the perimeter.
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“We know it’s serious,” Carlisle said. “He’s a guy that needs to be accounted for in a scouting report. He’s a competitor and he fills a need for us right now… If you don’t guard him, he’s going to score. It’s pretty simple. Guys like that change the game. I coached Reggie Miller for many years. I coached Dirk Nowitzki for 11 of my 13 years in Dallas. Those guys are in the Hall of Fame for a reason. They change the game because it changes. The geometry of the court has more players on the court who should defended from afar, the game opens up.
With Robinson-Earl, the Pacers are leaving behind a player who also made an impact and provided production in what has been an area of ​​weakness. The former Villanova star averaged 5.2 rebounds per game and 10.5 rebounds per 36 minutes, which ranked second on the team behind center Isaiah Jackson. Robinson-Earl shot just 34.9% from the field and 24.2% from 3-point range in 17 games, but it gave them a long-arm wing defender who could defend multiple positions and have the ball in his hands.
“It wasn’t easy letting go,” Carlisle said. “He’s a very solid player. He has all the qualities we like in a player for our program here. He has integrity. He works hard. He’s a detail-oriented guy. He’s a preparation guy. We’ll see. There’s a chance he might end up playing for the Boom. I know he has other opportunities, too. He’s making that decision now.”
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared in the Indianapolis Star: Why the Pacers kept Garrison Mathews: ‘Guys like that change the game’