Andrew Nembhard may have been the 31st pick in the NBA draft, but the 22-year-old is performing like a first-round pick in the early going for the Indiana Pacers.
The latest effort by Nembhard came on Friday as the Pacers (4-5) knocked off the Miami Heat, 101-99. Nembhard only finished with four points but added six assists and three rebounds in 28 minutes of work off the bench, and had a key play in the final seconds.
With the Pacers up by two points, and less than five seconds remaining, Nembhard forced Tyler Herro into a tough 3-point shot that fell short as time expired. The Pacers held on to win, thanks in large part to the defensive effort by Nembhard, who was a team-high plus-13.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was proud of Nembhard on that play.
He is tough. When you put a rookie on Tyler Herro in the last play of the game with a pretty good idea the ball is going to come to him and he makes that kind of a defensive stand, that is strong for a guy who was picked in the second round. We view him as a first-round pick.
Said Buddy Hield:
Hats off to Drew. He had Tyler Herro. Tyler Herro made a tough shot last game against Sacramento (to win the game) and Drew, a rookie, was put into that position. The coaches trust him and he was able to keep Tyler in front of him. It was pretty special to see him get that stop for his team.
Tyler Herro can’t get the potential game winner to go and the Pacers take home the W 👀
Indiana ML (+130) ✅ pic.twitter.com/VCTDb2WNKg
— NBABet (@nbabet) November 5, 2022
Nembhard was one of three draft picks added to the roster this season, along with Bennedict Mathurin (sixth pick) and Kendall Brown (48th pick). Mathurin is off to an incredible start, averaging 20.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists over their first nine games.
Certainly, Mathurin has stolen the headlines thus far but Nembhard has also performed at a high level. He is averaging 5.3 points, 3.1 assists and two rebounds in 17.1 minutes over eight appearances. Or, per 36 minutes: 11 points, 6.6 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals.
The team has counted on Nembhard in several high-pressure situations, including his defensive stand on Herro. Along with Mathurin, the two rookies have played a key role for the Pacers so far and have impressed Carlisle to this point.
I don’t think (Nembhard) is fazed at all. I don’t think he is fazed one bit by any one big moment. This guy just goes out there and plays the game. His poise is one of his impressive…
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