Now in his third season with the Indiana Pacers, guard Andrew Nembhard has fully established himself as one of the most valuable players on the team. He provides a lot on both sides of the ball and is a great backcourt partner alongside Tyrese Haliburton.
Nembhard broke out onto the scene during last year's playoff run (especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champion Boston Celtics) and has remained an important part of the Pacers' roster.
While Nembhard is a great player on the offensive side of the ball (and has drastically turned it around as a perimeter shooter despite a long rough patch this season), it is his defense that makes him stand out.
The Canadian native took home the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month award for January and played an essential role in the team's improved defense. However, thanks to one of the NBA's most controversial rules, this may be the only accomplishment Nembhard will receive this year despite his impressive season.
Andrew Nembhard officially eliminated from All-Defensive Team consideration
There is no guarantee he would have received the accolade anyway, but Nembhard now has no chance of being eligible for an All-Defensive Team selection this season. Because of the rules regarding end-of-season awards, players must appear in 65 games to be eligible. Furthermore, players have to log at least 20 in all those games (with two exceptions for a game between 15 and 20 minutes). Because of this, according to Pacers beat writer Tony East, Nembhard is not eligible even if he plays every game the rest of the way.
Nembhard has missed 16 games so far this season, including a near one-month absence in November due to a knee injury. Additionally, he logged fewer than 20 minutes in five of his appearances this season.
The 65-game rule is a controversial one as many believe it is too restrictive and makes many deserving players eligible for awards. This season, the biggest example of this is San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama, who was the odds-on favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award this season before a blood clot ended his season early after the All-Star break. Wembanyama only appeared in 46 games this season, so he is no longer eligible for the award.
It is unknown whether the league will have any thoughts of removing or changing this rule as its main purpose was to limit how many players sit out of games for load management or rest purposes. However, regardless of what they do, it is fair to say that Pacers fans may have their own feelings about this rule following the latest Nembhard development.