The Indiana Pacers aren't forcing Andrew Nembhard to be Tyrese Haliburton 2.0. And that's exactly why he's succeeding in his expanded role.
After Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury, a lot of eyes immediately went to Nembhard to take that next step. It was going to be up to him to run Indiana's elite offense while also being tasked with scoring more and taking on the same defensive responsibilities.
The Canadian native has been an important part of the Pacers' success for multiple seasons, but he was going to have to take it up an even higher level this season. But with this came a difficult dilemma for head coach Rick Carlisle: do the Pacers just let Nembhard be himself, or do they try to have him take on more of the Haliburton role to minimize his loss as much as possible?
Carlisle and the Pacers found their answer. And it isn't even that much of a debate.
The Pacers found the perfect Andrew Nembhard formula
One of the most obvious problems with inserting Nembhard into the starting point guard role is that he's not Haliburton. The two of them have completely different skillsets.
While Haliburton excels at improvising, pushing the tempo, and being an all-around elite passer and decision-maker, Nembhard is sort of the exact opposite. Though he is capable of running a fast-paced offense, he is a shifty ball-handler who is at his best in a traditional half-court, slower-paced offense.
The Pacers have been focusing more on just letting Nembhard be himself, and it's working out (for him) just about as well as they could've hoped for.
In his first 15 games of the season, the Gonzaga alum is averaging 17.2 points, 2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists while shooting 42.4% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc.
Nembhard has his struggles, particularly regarding his efficiency (though this has gradually improved throughout the season), but that's to be expected from a player taking on the biggest role of his career.
Indiana's offense has clearly taken a big hit without Haliburton. The team has a 109.3 offensive rating, and they are averaging just 111 points per game. Both of these numbers rank as the second-worst in the NBA.
However, that's not entirely Nembhard's fault. He missed a handful of games early in the season with a shoulder injury, and there's a ton of pressure on him to contribute in every area of the game. And for the most part, he's done that. Or, at the very least, he's getting closer to doing that.
Nembhard has played very well in his last seven games, when he averaged 17 points, 2.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. He is becoming much more comfortable in his role, and it's showing.
The Pacers had a bit of a tough decision to make heading into the season, but it's looking like a no-brainer now. They aren't forcing Nembhard to change his game too much. And while they are still pushing the tempo a bit, they have clearly slowed down to adhere to the 25-year-old's strengths.
Fortunately for Indiana, the team is going to get its star guard back next season. But in the meantime, they should feel happy with how Nembhard is doing. He is stepping up when they needed him the most, and that should continue to pay dividends past this season.