Now in his third season with the Indiana Pacers, Andrew Nembhard has developed into one of the most important and well-rounded players on the team. Last year was a bit of a breakout for Nembhard, especially in the postseason, but he is continuing to make his impact in Indiana. He is a fantastic backcourt partner alongside Tyrese Haliburton, and he is very valuable on both sides of the ball.
While Nembhard provides a ton of value on the court, he still has his flaws. This season especially, the Canadian native regressed heavily as a three-point shooter. Considering that the Pacers are an offense-first team, this was a bit concerning. However, Nembhard has turned it around in this area in a big way. If he can keep this up once the playoffs arrive, this will be big for the Pacers' title chase.
Andrew Nembhard can be a difference-maker for the Pacers
Through the first two months of 2025, Nembhard shot just 25.9% from beyond the arc on 2.3 attempts per game. This was easily the worst of all qualifying Pacer players during this stretch, according to StatMuse. However, Nembhard has improved a lot as a three-point shooter since the beginning of March, shooting 35.1% from the three-point line on 3.7 attempts. This includes a 1-for-6 three-point shooting game against the Philadelphia 76ers (take this performance away, and his percentage goes up to 43.8% from beyond the arc).
If Nembhard can continue this trend, it will be a game-changer for the Pacers, who are looking to make another deep playoff run later this year. With this improvement, Nembhard is proving that he is important to the Pacers' success. He may not be considered as important as players like Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, or Myles Turner, but it is clear that the Pacers are much worse without him, but fans already knew this.
From here on out, Nembhard's performances will be important to monitor as the Pacers continue their battle for homecourt advantage. With less than a month remaining in the season, the Pacers are in a three-way battle for the No. 4 seed in the East between the Milwaukee Bucks and Detroit Pistons. They currently own sole possession of the spot by a game, but a lot can happen this late in the campaign.
Regardless of where they finish in the standings, the Pacers are in a good spot to end the season on a high note. And as long as Nembhard continues shooting the ball the way he has been, the Pacers could be in for another deep playoff run.