It's Andrew Nembhard breakout season. The circumstances that led to this aren't happy, of course, as Tyrese Haliburton will miss the 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Even if Hali wasn't hurt, a breakout seemed obvious for Nembhard, who was sensational in the playoffs (and really good during the regular season, too). But with their star sidelined, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle knows that Nembhard will step into that de facto playmaker role, saying at Pacers media day that:
"With Ty out... This is assuming the lineup is as projected, with Mathurin at two and Aaron at three... There's no second primary ball-handler. Pascal would be the other... Primary ball-handler with that group, so instead of three including Pascal, now there's two. And so, a lot more playmaking responsibility in Andrew, and he always has a lot of defensive responsibility..."
This doesn't come as a huge surprise — Nembhard was already growing as a playmaker, and with perhaps the best playmaker in the league not in action right now, those plays have to be made elsewhere. After posting career-highs in points (10.0) and assists (5.0) per game last year, expect another huge statistical step for the fourth-year Gonzaga product.
Rick Carlisle says point guard minutes are up for grabs
Even with Nembhard playing a much bigger creation role in 2025-26, Carlisle also said that, "There's opportunity on this roster for some other people to play point guard minutes."
Ben Sheppard? RayJ Dennis? Those are the first two names that come to mind. Of course, TJ McConnell will play a huge role at point guard too, and when he's on the floor, maybe Nembhard plays more off the ball. But it makes sense that Carlisle will essentially hold auditions for extra PG minutes; in a season like this one, figuring out exactly what young guys can do is essential.
But no matter who else battles their way to consistent minutes alongside Nembhard, his production will be perhaps the most important development for this team. His volume will rise considerably; can his efficiency go with it?
Players in Nembhard's position are often so effective because their role doesn't ask them to do too much, and once they are asked to do more, they aren't as impactful. Will Nembhard be a case like that, or will he show that he's ready to step into the spotlight for the Eastern Conference champs?