According to Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, it seems like Andrew Nembhard will play fewer minutes next season, and a lot of pressure will be on T.J. McConnell to step up again. The Pacers will need a third point guard to show out as they look to navigate through life without Tyrese Haliburton for a season (h/t Caitlin Cooper on YouTube).
"But look, we gotta protect Andrew. If, going into this year, we're saying the guy's gonna play 37 minutes, that's not happening. He's gonna have to be in the low-30s, T.J.'s gonna have to have another great year, and we're gonna have to have a third guy ready," Carlisle said.
The Pacers are in an incredibly difficult spot next season. Not only do they have to replace Haliburton, who is out for the year with an Achilles injury, but they also need to replace the guys who are now playing expanded roles. This includes Nembhard, who is now expected to run the point full-time until the Wisconsin native returns.
Like Carlisle alluded to, it is going to be a "next man up" mentality for the Pacers next season. They still have great depth and will need to take advantage of that. As Indiana looks to have a third point guard ready, they have a few intriguing options already within the organization, but they better hope it works out for them.
The Pacers have a difficult point guard situation to work through
The Pacers are now in need of a third point guard to take some of the pressure off of Nembhard and McConnell. There are a few guys on the team who have the potential to up to that role, it's just a matter of who it ultimately ends up being.
As it stands, the safest bet would be rookie guard Kam Jones. The Pacers landed him pretty early in the second round of the draft, and he looked solid in summer league. There is a lot to like about his game, and given that he is on a standard contract, he seems like the most likely candidate to be Indiana's third point guard next season.
Another player to keep an eye on is Quenton Jackson. He re-signed with the Pacers on a two-way contract earlier this offseason, but most would tell you he may be too good to be on that type of deal. The 26-year-old has shown flashes throughout his time with the Pacers, particularly toward the end of this past regular season. His ceiling is a lot lower than Jones', but he still has a lot of talent and could earn his way to a standard contract by the end of next season.
The third player to keep an eye on is RayJ Dennis, who also had a great performance in summer league. Like Jackson, he is also on a two-way deal for Indiana. He has not had as many opportunities to showcase his talents with the Pacers, but when he has gotten them, he's looked solid. The Illinois native is a player worth monitoring the rest of the way.
Luckily for the Pacers, finding a third point guard is far from their biggest priority. However, they still need to do it sooner rather than later. They have a few internal options, but until something becomes official, this will be a storyline worth following throughout the year.