Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praised rookie Ben Sheppard for his clutch defense on Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett during last night’s 127-125 road win as time expired (10 points/5 rebounds/1 steal/3-6 FG/2-4 3-PT/2-2 FT/+8 +/-).
(via Indiana Pacers):
“Ben Sheppard is a rookie who plays like a veteran. He puts his body in the right situations, keeps his hands out of it, uses his length wisely, and he’s a very good system player. What a system player means is if you have an open shot, knock it in… and if not, you make the simple play to the next player offensively. Defensively, he was really good all night. He provides energy, he rebounds the ball, and he puts his body in the right places.”
