Andrew Nembhard may increase his scoring average by more than anyone next season.
With Tyrese Haliburton on the shelf next season, the Indiana Pacers will slide Nembhard over to the point guard role full-time. With him leading the way, the Pacers' offense will play to his strengths, which should give him a great opportunity to break out next season. This includes having a career year as a scorer, with some predicting he could score 20 points per game next season, which would double his current career high.
Recently, Dave DuFour of The Athletic said he thinks Nembhard can become an 18-20 PPG player next season. While this would be a monumental jump for the Gonzaga alum, DuFour notes that it is reasonable since there is already a system in place that works in Indiana. Additionally, he mentioned that Nembhard gradually looked more aggressive during the playoffs, and this momentum could carry over into the season (h/t The Athletic NBA Daily on YouTube).
"[Nembhard]'s points per game went up in the playoffs, and that was with Haliburton out there, where he was sharing the ball-handling duties. I feel like they kind of developed their rhythm for how to use him as the lead creator, and he was much more aggressive as he gained that confidence during the playoffs," DuFour said.
"I think Nembhard's set up to maybe be a 20-point-a-game guy...he's gonna have the opportunity. He's gonna be playing more. He's gonna have the ball in his hands a lot more. He's gonna have to shoot."
The Pacers' success may depend on Andrew Nembhard
With Haliburton injured and Myles Turner gone, not many are expecting the Pacers to be competitive next season. A second consecutive NBA Finals appearance seems borderline impossible, and another deep playoff run will be incredibly difficult. Even so, it is fair to assume that Indiana will not back down from a challenge. In that case, if they want to remain competitive, they need Nembhard to bring his A-game.
The Pacers' situation is far from ideal, but it could still work. Nembhard is a completely different point guard from Haliburton. However, there are still reasons to be excited about what he has to offer.
As it stands, it seems likely that Indiana will run a different offensive system. In order to play to Nembhard's strengths, they will likely move away from the fast-paced style of play they have become accustomed to. Instead, it is fair to assume they will run a more traditional offense with set plays in the half-court. This will give Nembhard and the Pacers an opportunity to experiment a bit and maybe add more tools to their arsenal for when they get their star guard back.
A lot of people have high expectations for Nembhard next season, and rightfully so. He has stepped up numerous times over the last two years, and he will now have a chance to showcase more of what he can do in a bigger role. What exactly comes of this will remain to be seen, but it is clear that Nembhard has never been as important to the Pacers as he is now, and he is a prime breakout candidate for next year.