2 Studs, 1 dud from Indiana Pacers big-time win over Chicago Bulls
By Jack Simone
Dud - Andrew Nembhard
For the first portion of the season, Andrew Nembhard was coming off the bench for the Indiana Pacers. Fresh off an impressive rookie campaign, he’s been playing a big role.
But with the new lineup chances made by Rick Carlisle, he’s been propelled into the starting lineup alongside Aaron Nesmith and Jalen Smith, who were also primarily bench players for the majority of the season.
His presence next to Tyrese Haliburton gives the Pacers some added offensive creation, but unfortunately, he just wasn’t very effective against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.
Nembhard ended the contest with eight points, three rebounds, and four assists while shooting 4-of-13 from the floor and 0-of-4 from behind the three-point line.
To make matters worse, Nembhard was a team-low -19 on the night. He was the only member of the Pacers' starting lineup who had a negative +/-, and one of just two players on the team with a +/- of -10 or worse.
Instead, it was Buddy Hield who earned the majority of the shooting guard minutes, as he poured in 19 points off the bench while making five three-pointers.
In the long run, having Nembhard in the starting lineup seems like it should produce solid results, however, against the Bulls, his minutes just didn’t translate well.