Pacers Report Cards: Grading every Pacers player's overall playoff performance
By Mueez Azfar
Andrew Nembhard
First Round Stats: 6 Games, 34.7 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 4.7 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 0.8 TOV, 1.2 FPG 59.6/45/66.7 Splits on 68.1% TS
Second Round Stats: 7 Games, 29.6 MPG, 12.3 PPG, 3 RPG, 5 APG, 0.1 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.6 TOV, 3.9 FPG 54.7/52.6/75 Splits on 63.7% TS
Conference Finals Stats: 4 Games, 34.7 MPG, 21 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 7.8 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG, 1.8 TOV, 2.5 FPG 54.1/47.6/88.9 Splits on 64.7% TS
Overall Stats: 17 Games, 32.6 MPG, 14.9 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 0.4 SPG, 0.2 BPG, 1.4 TOV, 3.3 FPG 56/48.3/76.9 Splits on 65.4% TS
When we talk about breakout playoff performances, not just for the Pacers but for the entire league, Andrew Nembhard has to be near the top of the lost. However, this is not to say that signs of the eventual two-game hot streak were not there from the start.
In fact, Nembhard was sneakily one of Indiana's most important players in the playoffs going back to the first round. Often forgotten in the starting lineup, with most thinking that he was a bench player when he exploded against the Celtics, Nembhard had this type of performance brewing away for a while before deciding to unleash it.
Aside from the six points on 2/6 shooting in his very first playoff game, Andrew Nembhard was a problem in the Milwaukee series. In his second-ever playoff game, Nembhard went off for 20 points on 8/11 shooting and made an immediate enemy out of Bobby Portis, who gave the Pacers their 'frontrunners' label following this game, particularly due to Nembhard's antics.
Sure enough, Nembhard did not disappoint for the rest of the series scoring above 12 points and never shooting under 50% from the field, even getting Portis ejected from a crucial Game 3 Indiana win before finishing the series with 14 points in Game 6.
Nembhard's second-round performance was probably the most interesting single round from any Pacers player this year. After scoring 11 points in Game 1 and an efficient 15 points in Game 2, Nembhard had not only the worst game of his playoff run thus far, but one of his worst games ever in Game 3.
With only two points on 1/7 shooting and five fouls, nobody would have expected him to make a deep prayer to keep Indiana's playoff hopes alive and prevent them from going down 3-0, a surefire death sentence. After this game, Nembhard played far more efficiently for the rest of the series, only once shooting under 50% and finishing it off with 20 points on 8/10 shooting in Game 7.
As for the Boston series, what more can be said that hasn't already been said? You know the drill, after playing to his usual solid level in the first two games, Nembhard was moved up to the starting point guard role for Games 3 and 4 and subsequently went off, going for 32 points and nine assists in Game 3 and 24 points with 10 assists in Game 4. Not only was Nembhard scoring at a high level in these games, but he was quite efficient, shooting 12/21 from the field and 4/7 from deep in Game 3 followed by 10/18 shooting and 3/6 from deep in Game 4.
While this wasn't enough to get Indiana a win against Boston, the losses were absolutely not on Nembhard. He proved in this series, and in the playoffs in general that he can be called upon to step up in any situation. Whether Indiana needs him to fill in at shooting guard, his usual position, or if they need him to start in Haliburton's absence, Nembhard is always up for the challenge. It would be in the Pacers' best interest to keep Nembhard locked up long-term to avoid any team snagging him in free agency anytime soon.