Pacers HC provides positive update on 'freakish' injured guard

While the Indiana Pacers completed an impressive run to the Eastern Conference Finals, they did so short-handedly. 

Namely, guard Bennedict Mathurin was off to a strong start to his second season after an impressive rookie year before undergoing shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Mathurin, named the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge MVP, averaged 14.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 26.1 minutes per game. In his sophomore campaign, he improved his shooting percentage slightly and also jumped his three-point shooting percentage from 32.3 percent to 37.4 percent.

While discussing Mathurin's return from injury, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle provided a positive update, as Tony East of SI's All Pacers revealed.

"He has gotten to see, over the last few months, what wins... his workouts this summer are going to be geared toward fast, efficient, quick decision making, and getting better defensively," Rick Carlisle says of Mathurin. "This guy's way ahead of schedule with this thing. It's been freakish."

It's great news for Mathurin, who was in the midst of his third straight month averaging north of 15.0 points per game when he suffered the injury in March. He had an impressive final full month of game action, averaging 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists while shooting 45.9 percent from three-point range in February.

With Mathurin back in the mix next season and Pascal Siakam ideally signed to a new deal, the Pacers will have more than enough firepower to make noise in the playoffs once again.