AFTER being selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft last year, Aussie Johnny Furphy made the most of his 10 appearances in the G League with the Indiana Mad Ants, and did enough to justify more minutes with the Pacers moving forward.

Although a large chunk of his time was spent with the Pacers in the NBA, Furphy’s minutes were quite minimal (as expected) to start his career, often only getting playing time once the result was secured and spending most of his tenure on the bench.

However, Indiana did assign him to its G League affiliate for 10 games throughout the 2024/25 fixture, and it was evident he looked too strong for the competition, proving a standout throughout most of his appearances.

At six-foot-nine, Furphy is a handy forward who likes to crash the glass and score the ball inside, although his three-point shooting his becoming a much more reliable commodity since joining the competition, something he was certainly working on with the Mad Ants.

The Pacers kept him around the NBA team for depth, but also to improve his knowledge of the game and what it takes to compete at the top level. He played over 10 minutes on just two occasions throughout the fixture, but will certainly benefit from the experience around NBA stars such as Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam.

It was in the G League that he truly began to show his potential, impressing as a slashing forward who could hit the occasional three while also crashing the boards and showing plenty of athleticism. Over his 10 games, Furphy averaged 14.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks per game, progressing as the season rolled on.

He showcased his ceiling later in the season, with 29 points, nine rebounds, one assist and two steals against the Windy City Bulls. In that match, Furphy shot an astounding 10/14 from the field, in a performance that was built on a red hot start to the match, making six of his first seven attempts from the field.

His time in the G League clearly built his confidence, with Furphy now looking a much more dangerous player in the NBA. as highlighted by his viral poster dunk in one of the Pacers’ final regular season games last week, in a huge showcase of his athleticism and physicality.

With the Pacers heading into the NBA playoffs in the upcoming week, Furphy will undoubtedly benefit from being around the team, and having improved out of sight both at NBA and G League level over the past few months, could even see some playing time at the pointy end of the fixture.