Andrew Nembhard Impresses in Conference Finals Against Celtics

The 24-year-old sophomore was one of the Pacers' bright spots despite the series sweep.

May 27, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles the ball while Boston Celtics forward Xavier Tillman (26) blocks during the second quarter during game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers' loss to the Boston Celtics last night ended their 2023-24 season in a conference finals sweep. While a sour result, considering there were three games in which Indiana had at least a 90% win probability in the 4th quarter but lost, the fact that they kept pace with the star power of the Celtics for at least 43 of out of the 48 minutes in every game was more than impressive. The Celtics' superior playoff experience simply showed down the stretch of games during the last five minutes.

One of the biggest reasons Indiana was able to keep it close with Boston all series long was thanks to the emergence of Andrew Nembhard. He averaged 21.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 7.8 assists on 64.7% true shooting overall and 28.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 9.5 assists on 68.0% true shooting in the last two games without Tyrese Haliburton.

Nembhard was excellent driving the basketball and putting pressure on the rim. He averaged 15.0 drives and 6.8 field-goal attempts off of drives during the series, both numbers that would've landed in the top 15 among all players in the regular season. Just over a quarter of his shots have come at the rim overall during these playoffs, an area where he's shot 74.5%.

He also possess an elite midrange pullup, something he loves to use as a counter on these drives. He shot 54.0% on 50 midrange jumpers in the playoffs and has shot 48.7% on all 355 midrange jumpers in his career as a Pacer.

Nembhard showed off his excellent passing ability off of drives as well, diming up teammates time and time again.

One of my favorite passes that Andrew Nembhard made during the ECF pic.twitter.com/nf9vJ9L1r9

— Alex (@AlexHoops_) May 28, 2024

He was elite as a passer during the Celtics series, especially in his non-Haliburton minutes. He averaged 9.4 assists per 75 possessions in 89 minutes with Haliburton off the court and 7.1 assists per 75 possessions in 50 minutes with him on the court. The 24-year-old really showed off his ability to run units as the lead guard with Haliburton out, and on the biggest stage in the East.

While he's always been great in his defined role as a backup spot up player and point-of-attack defender, this series showed that he can do more in a larger role. Maybe the stat that best illustrates how much Nembhard stepped up to the plate against the Celtics: he didn't once shoot below 50% from the field in a series against a top-three defense after doing so in 30 of his 68 games in the regular season.

The poise and production he showed in the conference finals has led people, like Mike Breen, to declare him to be a future star.

“Nembhard is a future star.” 👀

- Mike Breen on Andrew Nembhard pic.twitter.com/CKnYu9AmDO

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 28, 2024

Whether or not he one day reaches that status, and if it can even be done next to Haliburton and Siakam, is unknown. But, what we do know is that he proved himself to be one of the best players on one of the best young teams in the league, and was a major part of the Pacers' overachieving in the playoffs. That's a huge win for him and a huge win for Indiana.

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