When Lance Stephenson was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the second round back in 2010, many expected it to be a steal since he was a star in high school nicknamed Born Ready. However, mediocre play and maturity issues have surrounded Stephenson’s NBA career so far.

However, Stephenson hasn’t had a full chance to develop yet and he could be a quality player for Indiana off the bench. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that Stephenson could be the sixth man of the team next year.

“I’ll be surprised if Leandro Barbosa, who had that role after being acquired from Toronto in March, is re-signed. Stephenson has continued to mature on and off the court. … Don’t hand Stephenson the job, but give him a shot at it because it’s time to see if he’s ready to handle being the sixth man.”

Stephenson does have potential and has shown some signs of it this season when he was able to get playing time. He will have to do a lot more, however, to overcome the main highlight for Stephenson’s pro career: throwing up a choke sign at the Heat’s bench during a series the Pacers lost.