The Sideline Guys Podcast: Ben Sheppard (March 20, 2024) | Indiana Pacers

The Sideline Guys Podcast: Ben Sheppard (March 20, 2024) | Indiana Pacers

Hello and welcome into this week’s sideline guys powered by gainbridge if you are watching our show you can very clearly see our guests if you’re listening here this week Jeremiah Johnson’s with me as always and we’re thrilled to have one of the Pacers rookies Ben Shepard with us he’s kind of

Been the man of the last month or so and Ben when you think back to your last year like if you think of where you were this time last year so much is happened from finishing College to being drafted a first round selection mve to a new

City some g-league ball some NBA ball and now um you’re a key fixture in a playoff run here for the Pacers I guess how would you summarize everything that’s happened in the last year yeah it’s been a long journey um so much happened so fast after I lost my last

College game um all that pre-draft stuff just leading up to the draft it’s kind of like a whirlwind and uh right after that I was at summer league and then right into training camp so um it’s been good been trying to take it day by day but um definitely been good uh learning

A lot doing as best as I can so your story is still very early and there’s so much more that’ll be written over the coming years but I’m wondering if you could go back in time and tell that version of you a year ago where you’d be now what he would be

Thinking I think he’d be like this is crazy uh that’s about it I mean I don’t know I believe in myself so I’d probably believe that I’m here right now so we were recording a podcast much like this with jarus Walker and you after the day after the draft and at that point

Everything has to be flying at you and you just you know you’re meeting people but you’re not really remembering their names but you’re also like looking around like this is where I’m going to call home do you remember much about that 48 hours from draft night until your introductory press conference and

And just kind of what that was like yeah I was with all my family members in New York City we uh rented a restaurant out and um all my loved ones were there all my friends all my boys from high school um and then after my name got called we

Went out and then got on a plane the next morning got to Indiana and just so much happening at so so much time so it’s been good though you you mentioned that once the Belmont season ended it was all about proving yourself so you would get drafted then once you’re

Drafted what was that next two to three months like to then prove or get yourself ready for this new NBA experience yeah I bet some people were confused why a mid- major kid from Belmont went first round so um in those couple of months I was just trying to

Prove to everybody that um I was deserving of that pick and um that I’m here and I’m ready to compete uh just like the other guys so going back and looking at some articles of you pre-draft um you know mocks are sometimes worth the paper that they’re

Written on mock drafts but at the same time you could find everything from this guy could be a late lottery pick to this guy could be a midc round pick is that what you were hearing and I guess that’s that’s a big range you obviously ended up a first round draft

Pick but what was that experience like and did you think there could be a wide range of where you were going to go yeah so I did uh 19 pre-draft workouts actually so 19 different teams 19 different cities um I worked out from the 16th pick to the 36th pick so all

Those teams all those picks I had worked out with so I knew that was my range um heard a lot of good things throughout the whole process so it’s definitely cool watching myself like grow each workout climb the ladder and um yeah just compete against the best players in

That draft so that climbing of the ladder for you I I want to talk about it way before we’re talking about here take me back uh to the Atlanta area and some of your first memories of basketball you know how you fell in love with the sport

And kind of how it initially blossomed your young career yeah so growing up in Atlanta my dad coached me all types of sports football basketball baseball lacrosse I did a lot growing up and uh my dad was always there for me um but basketball later on like middle school

High school I wanted to really focus on it and uh that’s when I started to actually work out um watch film do stuff out of the ordinary to get me to where I am today but um yeah Atlanta as a city is super competitive and um I was a late

Bloomer grew 6 in or seven Ines my junior year wow so uh yeah I came in my senior year and everyone’s like who is this kid uh and that’s when recruiting started to take off and um eventually landed at Belmont started slow um and grew every year just took big steps and

Uh yeah led me here you said that you focused in on basketball Middle School maybe early high school but that’s pregrowth spurt yeah so as much as you loved it there still maybe can be a cap of were you 5 10 at m at most yeah I was

Uh yeah 5’10 up until junior year um honestly I didn’t think did you think it the gross for was coming or did it catch family by surprise too I mean my parents are tall so I felt like I was going to grow a little bit I didn’t know that was

Going to happen but uh started getting late there and I was like our college is really going to recruit me I’m kind of small undersized skinny but um yeah it all worked out I didn’t think I was going to be playing at college basketball so but yeah so then that

Happens and then maybe it’s your senior year a or even High School season where all of a sudden you start getting colleges reaching out to you and giving you more attention how did that happen that summer before my senior year um went to a couple showcase tournaments

Aou and just took off from there um a lot of Ivy League schools a lot of mid- major schools no high Majors but uh yeah a lot of coaches that believe in me after that that this is a good opportunity a lot of a lot of the kids

Are on YouTube and so because this is on YouTube if you’re a middle school basketball player player right now or even freshman sophomore and you’re not getting the attention you want this is a good lesson to keep working things can work out in your way what would you say

To someone that’s watching that’s a that’s a child or a a a boy or girl that just loves basketball I’d say just never compare yourself to others um always focus on yourself work on your game uh there’s going to be highs and lows in every sport and anything in life and uh

Just staying focused and believing in yourself um probably say that to them and a lot of spinach and what was the key to the gross spur I don’t know all parents I yeah yeah um I wanted to ask you about kind of that time as you’re

Moving on to Belmont because if you look at the recruiting pages of most of the guys on this roster including the guy who was picked in the first round with you for this team you see five stars and you see a billion schools and you see a

Ton of recruiting visits and um for you the story is different was it motivation at the time like I know I can I know I should be in a group like that or were you kind of like I’ve hit this growth spurt college is a thing kind of flying by the seat of

Your pants do you remember what it was like mentally during that time it’s definitely I Ed that as motivation um even when I was a smaller guard growing up in high school I’d be at these tournaments and I’d be killing these five star four star players and um I get

Frustrated because after the games I’d see them posting all their offers and stuff and I’m just be like I was just busting this kid’s ass but uh yeah definitely use that motivation definitely in college too um um yeah seeing those stars and stuff I don’t care too much about that but I deserve

My respect so well you earned it and you eventually received it um I want to go back to your career at Belmont because you’re going to be this will still happen but you’re going to be one of very few I think players in history when

You look back or maybe one of the last ones that plays four years at a school and then is drafted into the NBA with the transfer portal and and players leaving early your story is not a common one why did you want to stay at Belmont

And I’m sure at some point you got to a point where other schools were starting to recognize you at a high level what went into the loyalty to say just my love for my coaches and my teammates um that was one of main reasons I stayed um

Junior year that season I kind of had a great year and um a lot of schools were trying to talk to me talk me out of staying at Belmont but um eventually I just stayed just cuz my teammates needed me I love the program it’s a great

School love the city of Nashville so um just all worked out I know the goal is always in college to make it to the NCA tournament and while you didn’t get that experience you did get the the the full college experience um how did that prepare you for where you’re at right

Now fouryear guy um played a lot of basketball um I just have a lot of experience maybe not NBA experience yet but uh definitely that type of game playay College gameplay um four years of that you learn a lot and um especially here it got me really prepared for it in

Terms of like terminology uh sets that they run up here um stuff like that seems like you’re a loyal guy during the course of this season when you have downtime are you reaching out to your college teammates or college coach what’s that communication level been like because

It’s it’s not that long ago you were just right there yeah I talk to my college teammates almost every day couple of them um have a group chat going yeah yeah but um every B my game that’s on I try to watch and support those guys so yeah when you had just

Been drafted and we were sitting down with you and jarus I remember asking you if what Andrew nard did was a good path for you you’re different players you’re bit bigger um but there are a lot of similarities there fouryear guys that have been able um to contribute right

Away um how pivotal was the four years of college to you to being ready right away and do you see parallels between what you’ve done your rookie year and what Andrew did yeah I definitely see parallels um Andrew being a four-year guy and doing what he did last year in

His rookie year um that’s inspiring um I’m trying to leave that level of impact to this year but um yeah I definitely say those four years helped me out terms of like speed and physicality uh just like the physical aspect of this game I’m just letting my body develop I

Gained like 30 PBS in college but I still got more to go but uh because the NBA is so physical but definitely prep prepared me so when you look back at the beginning of the year to now you’ve had a lot of um signature moments and I want

To get to them but I want to ask you about the madance too and the g league in general because Rick talks a lot about how much you and jerus um both gained from that experience and how it’s impacting both of your play now what do

You feel like you got from playing with the matad ANS um I got a lot a lot of confidence um we ran the same sets down there as we do um on the Pacers and U yeah when me and jarus were down there we didn’t have to

Play out of ourselves um those guys accepted us and I’m so thankful for that I know how some some guys look down on uh people who get called down and all that stuff but they took us in and played team basketball didn’t do anything out of the ordinary but uh yeah

Learned a lot down there Pacers just concluded a practice and after practice some shooting and I observed you getting a little one-on-one lesson from Rick Carlile and it’s one of the things he’ll pull guys aside all the time but um how does that make you feel when he gives

You some one-on-one instruction and maybe share a little bit about what he’s working with you on yeah it feels good uh that a man like him’s pouring into a guy like me so early on but um yeah coach is so detail oriented and um I

Respect that a lot out of him and uh yeah just helping me out with my shot other things too but uh super smart guy and I’m always open to hearing everyone’s perspectives so what’s what’s been the biggest adjustment offense or defense I mean I know it’s all part of

The same game but uh it’s more than just coming out and being ready to shoot and defense is where I think you really shined over the last month I definitely say defense um the level the skill level at this level of basketball is super high um anyone could come off the bench

Score um the Stars too are super hard to guard um just learning a lot learning how to use my body in the way without fouling but um yeah a lot goes into defense and I’d say offense is a little bit easier just cuz I know my role I

Know it’s uh what’s expected of me so it’s almost like there are more plays called defensively than offensively this is such a free flowing offense but defense it can change from time out to time out of who’s switching and and what you’re sort of focusing on definitely uh

Coach lets us play so free on the offensive side um but defensive stuff we have so many Tac and so many calls so you got to keep up with that rookie year has a lot of first I’m wondering what it was like for you that first moment you

Step on an NBA floor those first points I remember early on uh you hitting a corner three and and the bench just erupting for you what all of those firsts in those experience been like for you really cool um it’s my dream of playing in the NBA so um having these

Things happen throughout the course of the season it’s been really cool and uh just happy to be here um I got more work to do but but uh it’s definitely been good grateful for it all so I’ve got a clip here and I’m going to have Jeremiah

Play it for you since he’s closer and if you can I would like for you to just watch it and maybe kind of narrate it as you go what you remember about this play give us your best Quinn Buckner analyst call okay okay so miles just missed a free

Throw I saved the ball from going out of bounds good hustle play offensive Drew shoots it Aaron gets the rebound blocked I kind of lag behind I take it out of his hands dive On the Floor come back into the play steal it again I think I got fouled

Here then there’s me kind of hyping up the crowd but yeah so much energy in that game and I think part of my role on the team is energy off the bench so um yeah you know I’m curious what it’s like in the perspective of the player going

Through a sequence like that I’m sure it’s all just reactionary right I mean you don’t have really time to think it’s just read and react but I think back to some of the top moments this year that kind of fits into my top three top five

Uh moments what was it like to kind of have the starring role and especially in the situation you’re in as a rookie and you had started to be getting more playing time at that moment yeah um I mean if you remember that game I didn’t get any playing time up until the fourth

Quarter and I played the whole fourth quarter so uh yeah literally just staying ready I didn’t think I was going to play that game but uh I was ready when my name was called and I was going to do everything I could to affect the

Game and I was so fresh so just trying to out hustle outplay outg guard these guys so it’s definitely cool as that ball goes in and you’re kind of having that moment with the crowd like do you remember that moment and and what it was like I kind of black

Out but I remember getting back to the bench and uh all my teammates just saying how proud proud of proud they are of me so yeah that’s got to be a a night after a situation like that where the phone blows up a little bit right I mean

For a guy once you’re in the league a long time you you hope to have a lot of those but to have one of those moments who’d you hear from I hear from everybody um all my boys back home college coaches college teammates um obviously my parents I saw them cuz

They’re pinned but uh yeah I still have a lot of Miss text messages honestly but uh yeah glad they’re keeping up with me and that’s sort of I think paved the way for what we’ve seen over the last month because you get that experience you’re in a crucial situation and and you know

Mid-season trade happens the the rotations change just a little bit but it struck me and I asked you about this afterwards when the Pacers are in Dallas playing Luca donic and just it’s no big deal you’re just out there you know guarding him and he’s on this incredible

Run of triple double scoring 30 points and not that it didn’t take a lot of work but it the moment was in no way too big for you you were ready you were pressuring him you were almost being a little bit of a pest to him I mean how

Did that moment get you to there and now everything can just fall into place yeah um I’m just so grateful my coaches have that trust in me to guard those type of players and um when I wasn’t playing early on in the season uh someone I look

At defensively is TJ um he’s like my vet so uh yeah just trying to be like a pest like he is um I think that Denver Nuggets clip is kind of like tjes but uh yeah just doing my best every time my name’s called um just stacking days

Trying to get better every day so TJ is someone fans love and I think that play probably reminded the fans of a TJ like play but how has he helped you off the court how has he been your vet maybe share a story or two of what makes you

Guys so close yeah um right when I got here t immediately started to pour into me um we go to dinner every road game sit next to each other on the plane uh text each other call each other just mess around have fun but uh yeah that’s

My guy um I appreciate everything he’s done for me but uh yeah great guy to look up to and um also someone to have your back so now that chemistry can help because you’re running second unit rotations a lot together so he got to know you off the court he helped you

Along and now you’re helping each other yep yeah it’s definitely fun playing alongside TJ um I think most of my shots come from TJ too so uh yeah it’s been good though the three and D prototype is is one that has become extremely valuable in today’s NBA and sometimes

Guys don’t really like the label because they feel like I do more than just shoot threes and play defense um but it is clearly two of the things that you do the best is that how you see your role and as you kind of project your own

Future and the type of player that you want to be what do you see I definitely think uh 3 and D role is something that I want to get to um see those guys um 3 and D guys like I don’t know Mel Bridges um the Martin twins people like them uh

Great players that’s where I’m trying to be at um I know it’s expected of me um I’m not the type of guy to go isolation or do anything out of the ordinary but I know my role and uh I think that’s a good thing so yeah I’m trying to be a

Three and D guy along those lines of that type of player is there anybody that growing up you modeled your game after or is there anybody you were just naming a few that you look at and kind of aspire to be similar to I don’t know why I didn’t say Klay Thompson earlier

But uh I watched a lot of his stuff his footwork uh defensive highlights Just sh formation stuff like that but uh yeah definitely watching a guy like that as we record this podcast 15 games to go and you mentioned that one game that you were fresh in the

Fourth quarter because you haven’t been logging heavy minutes all season are you still full of energy now because you hear a lot about a rookie wall and just the travel alone can make you a little bit worn out this late into your first season how are you feeling physically

Right now I feel good uh surprisingly I’ve been going since April um I thought I’d hit a wall a long time ago but uh yeah just keeping my body right eating right uh sleeping enough getting treatment definitely helps so uh yeah I feel great I’m ready for the postseason

I was going to say to that point last one for me this is Pat and I talk March we love because we love basketball and whether it’s high school college or the battle for playoff positioning it it really heats up in March um what are your what’s your objective for the next

Month or so and how excited are you just to to experience this all for the first time yeah I’m super excited um especially being a part of a team that could potentially make the playoffs my first year it’s definitely something cool and um yeah as far as myself try to

Just do everything I can to affect the game in a positive way and uh be ready do whatever is needed but um yeah I think we can get that four seed keep playing well but um yeah that’s what what we’re aiming for just a tip that

Crowd when you made that play it’s like that from opening tip till the end when you have a home game here so I mean just get ready yeah definitely excited for that final thought here from me as an Atlanta kid who played his college ball in Nashville you’ve kind of been making

This line up north Indiana maybe uh is fitting geographically here for you but a year ago you of course had no idea where you’d been where you’d be playing and now you’re here with the Pacers and you’ve got a rotational role but it’s not just that I think you’ve become a

Fan favorite you start seeing some Shephard jerseys around and you start seeing uh on Twitter you know people commenting about you I think it’s the style of your play a little tjs that lends itself to the fans but what’s I guess it been like for you to be

Embraced by the fan base like this as a newcomer to the team the franch the city it’s definitely a cool um I didn’t really notice it I stay off of social media and stuff like that but um yeah just hits me in times like when I’m

Walking my dog and someone come up to me like I really love your hustle stuff like that uh just inspires me to keep playing hard and uh keep doing whatever I’m doing to make the fans like my game so you know what else they like the

Smile the smile yeah we can’t that was like the highlight of our our season our podcast a year ago we found out you were voted best smile in the yearbook so uh do the baby photos have the smile like does the smile go all the way from day

One all the way back just keep smiling and they’ll they’ll keep cheering for you no matter what well uh a little behind the scenes here and those who don’t of course know you just got done with an extended practice so we appreciate your time very much you’re

Sitting down with us for 20 25 minutes and and best of luck as your rookie season continues and hopefully those playoff experiences are coming your way thank you appreciate you guys all right that’s Ben Shepard here you’re on the sideline guys powered by Game

Pat Boylan and Jeremiah Johnson sit down with Indiana Pacers rookie guard Ben Sheppard on The Sideline Guys powered by Gainbridge. From being lightly recruited out of high school, to a first round draft pick, to a major contributor on a playoff contender, Sheppard opens up on his unique NBA journey.