Andrew Nembhard dominates for the Indiana Pacers whenever he is tasked with running the show, and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic is well aware of that.
In a recent episode of the "Game Theory Podcast," Vecenie spoke about how well the Canadian native plays whenever he needs to step up in Tyrese Haliburton's absence (which, given the current circumstances, is going to be incredibly important for the Pacers). More specifically, he mentioned Nembhard's performance for Indiana against the Boston Celtics in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.
"Whenever we've seen Nembhard get the keys to the castle, it has tended to go quite well in the past. You look at the 2024 Playoffs against Boston, for instance, where I thought he was just absolutely freaking outstanding... Anytime that he's gotten a chance to really run the show for them, I have loved the signs. I love the pace that he plays at. I love the poise," Vecenie said.
The Pacers know they can rely on Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard has been a fantastic complement to Haliburton over the past few seasons, but he has stepped up numerous times when the Pacers needed him to. This especially includes times when their star guard is out.
Most notably, Nembhard was fantastic during Indiana's last two playoff runs, but it was his performance against the Celtics in 2024 that stands out. In Games 3 and 4 (both games that Haliburton missed due to a hamstring injury), the Gonzaga alum averaged 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 9.5 assists while shooting 56.4% from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc.
Additionally, according to StatMuse, Nembhard is averaging 13.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists in 45 total games (regular season and playoffs) without Haliburton.
The Pacers are going to be in a tough position next season. After being one win away from an NBA Championship back in June, they are now on the outside looking in of the playoff picture for next season. Plus, not only will they be without Haliburton, but they must figure out how to navigate through life without Myles Turner after he signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency.
As Indiana looks to remain afloat, they will put a lot of pressure on Nembhard to step up and lead the offense. He has looked good in his limited opportunities to do so so far, but whether he can do it for the length of an entire season remains to be seen. However, fans know what the 25-year-old is capable of, and that should give them some confidence heading into the new season.
With their star guard on the shelf for all of next season due to an Achilles injury, the Pacers will need to rely much more heavily on Nembhard to perform. While it is safe to assume he won't be able to completely replicate Haliburton's impact, fans should feel good about what they have seen out of Nembhard so far.