In order for Andrew Nembhard to step up and make that jump for the Indiana Pacers, he needs to be a consistent pull-up shooter. This would not only be great for his individual game, but it would pay dividends for the team as they look to remain competitive next season.
During a recent episode of the "Game Theory Podcast," Sam Vecenie of The Athletic questioned how Nembhard will perform as a pull-up shooter next season now that he is going to assume a much bigger offensive role without Tyrese Haliburton, who is recovering from an Achilles injury.
"The big question for me is gonna be, what does he look like as a pull-up shooter on some level? Can he consistently force defenders to guard him out there? He's been a little bit up and down throughout his career," Vecenie said.
According to NBA.com, Nembhard shot 43.2% on pull-up shots during the regular season, but he shot just 27.3% from beyond the arc on such attempts. However, in the playoffs, the Canadian native shot 45.9% from the field and a team-leading 51.4%, respectively.
This improvement would greatly improve Nembhard's game. He is already a tough player for opposing teams to guard due to his ball-handling skills and shiftiness. However, if he can become a more dangerous pull-up shooter, this would force teams to guard him differently, which would open up a lot for the Pacers next season and beyond.
Andrew Nembhard will have a lot of pressure on his shoulders
It is not the way he wanted, but Nembhard will finally have an opportunity to be Indiana's primary point guard next season without Haliburton.
Naturally, a lot of pressure will be on him. Not only is he in line for the biggest role of his career so far, but he will be tasked with replacing the Pacers' star guard for the season, which may be too daunting a task. However, so far, the Gonzaga alum has given fans multiple reasons to put their trust in him as he looks to help the team stay competitive.
When he has needed to step up for Indiana, Nembhard has looked great. This was especially true during the Pacers' conference finals series against the eventual champion Boston Celtics in 2024.
In the last two games of that series without Haliburton, Nembhard averaged 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists while shooting 56.4% from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc. Though the Pacers lost, they were still competitive, and it was largely due to Nembhard's performance.
Next season, the 25-year-old will have an opportunity to showcase exactly what he brings to the table and how impactful he can be as the main guy for Indiana. There is no replacing Haliburton, and the team will miss his presence all season long. However, if Nembhard can keep doing what he has been doing so far, he will give fans reasons to be excited and have hope for the season.
Despite what many are anticipating, the Pacers have not given any indication that they are going to tank next season. Instead, they will look to re-establish themselves as title contenders and shock the basketball world again.
It will be a tough task, and the team may be in for a rude awakening. However, if there is one team in the NBA that can exceed expectations and overcome adversity, it's the Pacers. In order for them to make this happen, they will need everybody on the team to bring their A-game, and that especially includes Nembhard, who has a chance to make a gigantic leap next season now that all the pressure is on him.