Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard showing off sharp passing through two preseason games

The Pacers 31st overall pick is know for his passing, and it's been on display.

Jul 15, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles against Washington Wizards guard Arturs Zagars (35) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Nembhard was supposed to come in for a pre-draft workout with the Indiana Pacers in late May, but weather hurdles got in the way. Instead, the team rescheduled the workout for mid-June, and with just eight days remaining before the NBA Draft, the Gonzaga product made it to the Circle City. The Pacers wanted to see him.

The workout went well, and just over one week later Nembhard was a Pacer. Indiana chose the 22-year old guard with the 31st overall pick — the first selection of the second round. They had to sweat through the late picks in the first round to grab him, but everything worked out as the blue and gold had hoped. They got one of their guys.

The Pacers are building a point guard rotation that features multiple, taller creators. Tyrese Haliburton runs the show, and he's a six-foot-five-inch distributor. Andrew Nembhard is the backup of the future (though he's behind T.J. McConnell for now), and he too is a taller creator — the rookie is roughly the same height as Haliburton.

The size of Nembhard allows him to see over defenders and fire the ball into passing lanes that shorter guards can't. It also allows him to skate into the lane and complete passes in tight angles around the basket. His size is an advantage, and it's one that the Pacers like.

In summer league, those skills were on display when Nembhard led the team with 5.0 assists per game across five games. He was the best playmaker for the blue and gold out in Vegas, which offers a great baseline for growth in NBA competition.

So far, he's kept that up in preseason play. In two appearances in NBA exhibitions so far, Nembhard has six assists — three in each game — in about 25 minutes of playing time. He's been finding his teammates well.

"Nembhard was real solid," head coach Rick Carlisle said after the Pacers beat the Hornets. The rookie guard finished with eight points, two rebounds, three assists, and perhaps most importantly, zero turnovers.

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This season, Nembhard likely won't be in the Pacers rotation too often. He projects to be behind Haliburton and the veteran McConnell in the pecking order at point guard, and he doesn't slot in naturally at any other position. Nembhard may spend most of this season developing, with the thought being that he could be a rotation player in 2023 or so. He did sign a four year contract this offseason.

Even though he won't play in high-leverage situations, Nembhard can still develop this season in a talented point guard room. He'll get opportunities when there are injuries as well as in garbage time. These preseason games offer the rookie a chance to play against some of the NBA's best players — on Friday in New York, he received playing time in the second quarter and was guarding the talented Jalen Bruson.

That night, Nembhard finished with five points, one rebound, and three assists. He also canned his first three-pointer of the preseason, which is an important skill to monitor as he develops.

All things considered, it has been a good preseason so far for the rookie. So far, all six of his assists have come after he dribbled the ball and manipulated the defense, which is a sign of his abilities directing traffic as a point guard.

"I thought Nembhard played well in the fourth quarter," Carlisle said on Wednesday after the Pacers beat the Hornets.

Nembhard has struggled on the defensive side of the ball, as rookies do. And he's 6/15 from the field across the two exhibitions. It hasn't all been rainbows for the Gonzaga product so far, and there's plenty of development that still needs to happen.

But through two games, Nembhard has excelled at the skills that he has been praised for leading up to the campaign. The Pacers will hope his passing continues to develop, and then other skills right along with it.

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