Rim pressure and comfort help Johnny Furphy have best game yet in summer league for Indiana Pacers

Furphy scored 18 points on Sunday

Indiana Pacers forward Johnny Furphy walks back onto the court after halftime of the Minnesota TImberwolves vs Indiana Pacers summer league game on July 14, 2024. (Mandatory Photo Credit: Tony East) /

LAS VEGAS — For Johnny Furphy, comfort and aggressiveness were synonymous during his second summer league outing for the Indiana Pacers.

Furphy, a 19-year old who the Pacers traded up to draft 35th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, scored 12 points in his first summer league outing. His buckets primarily came from long range, and more specifically from the corners.

His second performance was much more varied and successful. The young wing wiggled free for a team-high 18 points, and he only made two triples to get there. He was attacking the rim on cuts and in transition while still providing spacing — he got up eight shots from long range. His play was much sharper in game two.

"I felt more confident, definitely. Just kind of feeling out the pace of the game a little bit more," he said after his performance. He noted that he was more adjusted to the physicality of the NBA game, and that left him more prepared in the paint.

Indiana's up-tempo style can be challenging to learn quickly. There's a lot of reads and reactions, and sometimes those reactions are related to what a teammate does. It requires strong feel. Some players pick it up quicker than others.

Pacers summer league head coach Jannero Pargo noted that Furphy has picked up on things quickly, and that was clear on Sunday afternoon. The blue and gold have tried to drill their offensive concepts into the heads of their players during and after every practice. Furphy has grasped the concepts with relative ease.

"I thought the game slowed down for him. He was able to catch and shoot, get his shot off with a quicker release," Pargo said of Furphy's second game. "He's a kid that knows how to play the game. He's adapted to our style of play very quickly."

His fit within the team has been seamless. Fellow rookie Enrique Freeman said that Furphy is a great guy, and they're helping each other learn. Rookies are overloaded with information during their first few weeks in the NBA on top of summer league, but the Kansas product has hit the ground running.

Pargo noted that the game seemingly slowed down for Furphy in his second outing. On catches, he would read the defense and make a decisive, yet smart, play. He attacked the rim, made tidy passes, and let it fly from deep. That was less common in the first game — he attempted three two-point shots in game one yet took six in game two.

"I'm always looking to stay aggressive," Furphy said. "That's kind of my mindset in each of these games. Just trying to be as aggressive as possible, trying to rebound and defend."

The Pacers want to see the rookie wing play hard and hunt for the best shots during summer league. His offensive game is more refined than his defensive abilities right now, but he's done well battling on every possession. The Australian wing said that defense has been his biggest challenge so far between the pace of play and size of the opponents.

Offense, though, has come easy — as it did on Sunday. "He was great. He stepped into every shot with confidence. Just led our team offensively today. He was a bright spot," Pacers wing Ben Sheppard said of Furphy. "I thought we could have done some things better as a team, but Johnny was definitely a bright spot. We're all happy for him."

The Pacers still lost the game, something that Furphy didn't enjoy. He shared after the game that he just wants to win, even in summer league. Indiana is 0-2 so far and still hunting for 40 minutes of good play.

But even without the winning, his impression of the Pacers has been strong so far. The franchise just showed with Pascal Siakam that they know how to make a player feel welcome quickly, and that is happening again with the 2024 rookies. "It's been awesome. I'm loving every bit of it," Furphy said of the organization. He's already learned a lot from some of his role models on the roster, including Sheppard.

All of these factors played into Furphy's best game. He reacted well to his teammates and made the right plays with the ball. He shot when he was supposed to and took it to the rim when he could. Even when pressured, he was calm and made the correct move.

His final stat line featured 18 points and seven rebounds. He'll get a chance to build on it come Tuesday when the Pacers take on the Phoenix Suns summer league group.

"I do believe that our front office did a great job of finding Johnny when they did," Pargo said. "I think he's a great player with a lot of potential. I'm excited to see him moving forward."

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• Indiana Pacers center James Wiseman says opportunity to develop was key in his free agency decision. CLICK HERE.
• Johnny Furphy thinks his maturity, off-ball movement, and motivation will make him a good fit with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle hopes to see motor, rebounding, defense from Jarace Walker this summer. CLICK HERE.
• Obi Toppin couldn't imagine signing anywhere but with the Indiana Pacers in free agency. CLICK HERE.
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