The Indiana Pacers do not have a scoring problem. They are set to be one of the best offenses in basketball if they can simply see Tyrese Haliburton return to his past strength. In terms of the weaknesses of this roster, putting the ball in the basket is not one of them.
The Pacers do, however, have a scorer problem, especially on their bench. TJ McConnell and Obi Toppin, the expected sixth and seventh men for this team, are both not known for their shot creation. Toppin, especially, is a pure play finisher.
Basketball does not employ full platoon substitutions, thankfully, but it may be advantageous to keep a scoring punch ready to play against the reserves.
That's where Andrew Nembhard comes in.
The primary options on this team are Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, who could function as an X-Factor in his own right. They are the two players enabled to spend possessions with the ball sticking in their hands. The rest of the roster are expected to make quick decisions off of the passes coming to them from those two stars.
There are two exceptions to this rule, though. Ivica Zubac will surely spend some time playing out of the post. While the Croatian big man will primarily be a pick and roll finisher, you don't burn a top-five pick in a trade for a player and not utilize them to their fullest.
The other exception is the aforementioned Nembhard. Despite a failure to break out in a 19-win gap-year season for Indiana, the Canadian guard has still shown he can take advantage of isolations and do more than just attack closeouts.
Remember the combo he pulled on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Finals? That player still exists. He may just be better suited to brighter lights.
With the massive scoring void that the bench has, it may make sense to start newcomer Kelly Oubre Jr. instead of Nembhard, moving the stronger player to the reserves in order to maximize total game success.
The sixth man label is no longer seen as disrespectful
There was a time when being a bench player was strictly seen as less useful. Teams would blindly start their best five players, refusing to leave talent with lackluster minutes even in the name of fit.
Surely there is more than one name that deserves credit for changing that perception, but the person who stands out in that conversation is Lou Williams.
Sweet Lou won multiple Sixth Man of the Year awards, actively turning down starting roles to continue feasting on worse opposition en route to awards, recognition, and the same steady contracts. He would seamlessly transition from iso-ball killer to spot-up shooter depending on who he shared the court with.
Asking Nembhard to do the same is easier than it was 15 years ago, but still difficult. Perception is how you get paid in the NBA, and refusing to be seen as a bench player when you are already earmarked as a starter makes sense when you view it that way.
But the Pacers' best shot at becoming a title contender is having balance within their team, from top to bottom.
Without a scoring answer on the bench, that balance falls woefully short. Moving Nembhard to the bench may not be appreciated, but it may also just save the season.
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