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“He’s clowning around a lot less, which is helpful in practice,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “His interaction with his teammates is solid. He’s not pointing fingers and making faces like he did last year. We’ve seen a lot of maturation from him this year.”
Stephenson averaged almost 11 minutes in the two preseason games, totaling three assists, three rebounds and six points.
“I thought he played within himself on most possessions, which is probably the biggest area he has to improve in,” Vogel said. “And then growing on the defensive end, being in the right spots all the time.”
Stephenson has tried to tone down his game on the court, trading in flashy, street ball-type passes for the simple, safe pass.
“Last year I used to force stuff,” Stephenson said. “I see now if you make the simple pass, it matters more.”
— Via Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star
