Bulked-Up Pacers Wing Johnny Furphy Attacking Basket, Growth In Summer

Forbes

14-07-2025

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 11: Johnny Furphy #12 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a shot in the ... More third quarter against the Orlando Magic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 11, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by)
LAS VEGAS – 21 seconds into the Indiana Pacers first 2025 summer league game, young wing Johnny Furphy took the ball and drove the cup. He finished in the lane and opened the scoring in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Furphy contiued to attack early in that outing and was putting together a solid performance before getting elbowed in the eye. He exited with just over nine minutes of play acummulated before Quenton Jackson stole the show. Yet in less than 10 minutes, the 20-year old Pacers wing showed more pop and strength than he displayed as a rookie. Furphy's growth, both in skill and size, was obvious.
His added bulk was revealed by President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard last week. 'Our second-round pick Furphy, he's gained 20 pounds,' Pritchard said. 'He's been the best player out on our practice [floor]The Kansas product used that added size to get to the cup early in summer league play. His agility and awareness helped him get to the rim last year, but now Furphy is overwhelming defenders in his offseason exhibitions. It's a new skill made possible because of his growing body.
Indiana selected Furphy with the 35th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. They sent assets to the San Antonio Spurs in order to get the Australian wing because they believed in his potential. As a rookie, Furphy played in 50 games for the Pacers and averaged 2.1 points per game.
Now, entering year two, the youngster may feature more prominently in the nightly plans of the blue and gold. He currently projects to be just outside of the team's rotation, but injuries or transactions should give Furphy more total playing time in his second campaign. And if he's going to play, he needs to be stronger.
What has Johnny Furphy shown for the Pacers in summer league so far?
So far, so good as he's shown in summer league. 'He was keeping us afloat,' Pacers summer league head coach Isaac Yacob said of Furphy's limited minutes in that first outing against Cleveland.
Two days later, Furphy had another chance to show off his improved ability to attack the basket, and how his size will be beneficial. With the Pacers taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday, the young wing was back in the lineup and eager to make an impact. He was focused during warmups and at the start of the action.
After getting into the paint a few times early in the game, Furphy's loudest success came halfway through the first quarter. In that instance, he pulled in a rebound and gave the ball up. Furphy then raced up the floor and was given a pass from rookie Taelon Peter. Now armed with momentum and space, Furphy dribbled behind his back around a defender, then threw down a strong dunk that sent the Pacers bench to their feet in celebration.
Indiana Pacers' Johnny Furphy (12) shoots over Brooklyn Nets' Dennis Schroder during the second half ... More of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
It was his third points of the game at the time, and the first one came off of a foul shot after getting hacked on a drive. The Thunder couldn't keep Furphy from the basket early.
'Just trying to be as aggressive as possible,' Furphy said of his summer league approach. 'I think it's a really good opportunity for me to kind of have the ball in my hands a little bit more and just be aggressive.'
In his second outing, a loss vs the Thunder, Furphy made five of his six two-point shots and earned a trip to the foul line. He had multiple assists that came after getting into the paint, too. His jumper wasn't falling – he went 0/6 on threes – but he still found ways to impact the game with that aforementioned aggression.
He finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and four assists. 'Definitely how much time he's putting into his game and his body. Like I said in camp, he's one of the strongest, most athletic dudes on our team and improved since the day he stepped into our organization,' Yacob said of Furphy's year-over-year development. 'He's a worker, he's a workaholic. Comes in early in the morning, works, stays late. So just the growth, he keeps growing and is going to continue to grow.'
Every shot Furphy made against OKC was from nine feet away or closer. He's emerging as more than an finesse player, and that is both due to his mentality and added weight. He can get by defenders using both athleticism and strength in a way that he couldn't during summer league last year.
Through two summer league games, with one of them abbreviated due to injury, Furphy is averaging 9.5 points per game on 50% shooting. He's sprinkled in 3.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists per night, tidy across the board numbers for a guy currently posting just 19 minutes per contest.
Furphy has been trying to add bulk for a while since he was a late developer. He wants to fill out his body and has been in the weight room constantly. With the Pacers in the playoffs in recent months, the two-year pro focused on things he could control – the amount of time he spent in the gym, his development, and his diet – in order to get better.
He wants to continue growing, which is more than possible at his age. So far, the added size hasn't changed Furphy's play at all. It's been purely additive, which Yacob appreciates.
'The rare part that's good that Furphy has done – those 20 pounds, he's become more athletic with them,' he said. 'Jump testing and all the stuff we do. He does a great job with our strength coach, Eric (Huddleston), who works him out, but. That's the hard part. People gain weight and are not the same player. It's enhanced [Furphy]. Great rebounder, finisher at the rim, and stuff like that.'
Furphy needs to knock down some jump shots, and his defense (like every Pacers player in summer league so far) has been a mixed bag. He's coughed the ball up five times in two games. There's still plenty for the youngster to focus on.
But he feels like he's just scratching the surface of his potential, and his newfound bulk already appears to be paying off. For the Pacers, the next step is bringing those improvements from the summer league floor to the NBA court. 'I think I'm very far away from where I will be in a few years time,' Furphy said. 'I've just gotta keep working.'