Indiana Pacers: 3 players who should step up after Chris Duarte injury

Indiana Pacers: 3 players who should step up following Chris Duarte’s injury

2. Andrew Nembhard

Once expected to play third fiddle in his rookie season, first-year point guard Andrew Nembhard has been a quiet, yet pleasant surprise for the Blue and Gold. His raw numbers will certainly not jump at you, but his impact on the intangibles department has been inarguable.

The Florida product has already cracked Rick Carlisle’s rotation, operating the bench unit with veteran TJ McConnell in dual-point guard lineups. With Duarte out of commission, expect Nembhard to continue logging minutes, especially against guard-heavy teams. In the previous game against small-ball Miami, Nembhard registered 28 productive minutes.

Expecting the rookie playmaker to channel Duarte’s perimeter prowess is unreasonable, as he’s struggled to shoot for the most part, but his passing and more importantly, defense, have not gone unnoticed. With his mature court awareness, Nembhard gives the Pacers another reliable steerer in the open court without any compromise on the defensive end, notwithstanding his lack of size.