The Indiana Pacers are getting stuck in a slog. Tyrese Haliburton has been out, and Ivica Zubac has just returned. It’s been tough for the Pacers to keep up while their injuries have been piling up. They’ve lost two in a row and seven of their last eight games. Andrew Nembhard has been trying to fill the Haliburton void, but it’s just not working.
That was the case last year. Indiana needed a guy to step up and help lead the Pacers while Haliburton was sidelined. Nambhard tried his best, but the wins didn’t come pouring in. This year, it looks like it’s the same story. Since Haliburton went down, Nembhard has appeared in six of the eight games, averaging 8.5 assists.
It just hasn’t worked out for the Pacers. They need Haliburton back. Nembhard can only step in as the lead creator for so long.
Andrew Nembhard is trying his best to fill in for Tyrese Haliburton
Right now, Haliburton is out with a left hamstring strain. He went down at the end of October and was slated to miss around two weeks. That said, there was never a set timetable for his return.
So, with Haliburton out, the Pacers have had to rely on their depth pieces, just like they did last year. But much like last year, that strategy has been costing them wins.
Indiana is currently 3-8 this year. The Pacers went 2-1 with Haliburton healthy, and everything has gone downhill ever since. It’s never been clearer that a healthy Haliburton is crucial to their success.
Nembhard has been trying his best. He’s a great secondary guard. A great secondary creator. But when he has to be the lead guy with the ball in his hands all game, things go downhill very quickly.
There have been plenty of close games along the way. A five-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers — Nembhard had 18 and 14. A four-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks – Nembhard didn’t play. A three-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks – Nembhard had 15 and 12.
It’s not like the Pacers are getting blown out every night. There have definitely been some bad losses, but in a lot of the games, Indiana has come up just short.
But when it comes down to the wire, the Pacers need their best guy on the court. They need Haliburton taking shots, making shots, and setting his teammates up.
Nembhard can only do so much. He’s done a fine job filling in while Haliburton has been sidelined. But Haliburton is just irreplaceable.
Add us as a preferred source on Google