Andrew Nembhard has been as good as the Indiana Pacers could have hoped for since his return from a shoulder injury. And he is proving that, when needed, he can be the lead point guard for the Pacers.
Since making his return, Nembhard is scoring and facilitating at a high rate while still playing incredible defense. In his nine games since his return, the Canadian native is averaging 19.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 31.9 minutes. Additionally, he is shooting 42.3% from the field and 35.8% from deep.
There is a lot of pressure on Nembhard to step up in Tyrese Haliburton's absence. And, while he is no Haliburton, there is still a lot to be encouraged with regarding the Gonzaga alum's play. He looks comfortable and confident, and he is further showcasing just how valuable he can be for the Pacers in the long run.
Andrew Nembhard will be crucial to Pacers' success past this season
The Pacers began the season 2-15 and stand as the second-worst team in the Eastern Conference. Despite being one win away from an NBA championship less than a year ago, their position in the NBA is completely different this year. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Without Haliburton, it was always going to be a challenge for Indiana to be a serious title contender this season. This already difficult task became close to impossible once Myles Turner joined the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.
However, in a down year for the Pacers, there are still some silver linings, and Nembhard's play is near the top of that list.
The 25-year-old has been a fantastic secondary ball-handler next to Haliburton, but he's finally able to showcase his abilities to run an offense full-time, and the Pacers should be very happy with how he is playing. This is especially true because his importance isn't going to go away after this season.
Once Haliburton comes back from his Achilles injury, it is safe to assume that it will take some time for him to return to his old form. Whether it's a few games, a few weeks, months, or even years remains to be seen. But until the Pacers can feel completely confident in the two-time All-Star again, they will still need Nembhard to run the show for a bit. At least more than he did before this season.
Additionally, even once Haliburton gets back to his old self, Nembhard will continue to be Indiana's secondary ball-handler. Only now, he has a lot more experience in running the offense under his belt, which should make things easier for him and the Pacers to diversify their offense and become even more dangerous than they already were.
It's not going to happen this season, but Indiana will be back in the championship picture at some point. And once they are, Nembhard's experience right now should help the team finally get over the hump and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.