Andrew Nembhard recognized as one of the most underrated players in the NBA

Jalen Suggs was voted as the eighth-best defender in anonymous NBA players poll

Barely through two seasons as a pro, Andrew Nembhard has gone from being overlooked as a rookie to already one of the most underrated players in the NBA.

In an anonymous 142-player poll published by The Athletic, Nembhard, the 31st pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA Draft, was voted one of the league’s most underrated players by his peers. The 6-foot-5 Canadian and former Gonzaga men's basketball standout received an estimated 1.6% of the 126 votes, tying him with the likes of Orlando Magic star and former Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, Most Improved Player candidate Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, among others. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White and Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren’s teammate on the Oklahoma City Thunder, finished in a tie for the most underrated player in the league with 10.3% of the votes.

Nembhard’s second season was consistent with his first in terms of overall production, though he was more efficient from the field and improved on the defensive end of the floor in 2023-24. In 68 games, including 47 starts, he averaged 9.2 points, 4.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 49.8% from the floor and 35.7% on 3-pointers (5.2 attempts per game). Nembhard also shot 80.4% from the free-throw line.

Injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and others thrust Nembhard into the starting lineup in January and February. As a starter, he averaged 10.1 points, 4.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds. The Pacers were 30-17 with Nembhard in the starting five.

The anonymous player poll also revealed how highly Jalen Suggs is regarded as one of the league’s best defensive players. The former No. 5 overall pick received 4.5% of the 132 players who voted on who they thought was the league’s best defender, which went to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Suggs tied with Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo for the eighth-most votes.

After a rocky first two seasons in the NBA riddled by injury, Suggs has emerged as a legitimate pick to be named to an all-defense team at the end of his third year in the league. His 1.9 steals per game was the ninth-most and he ranked 19th in defensive rating, a stat that estimates a player’s points allowed per 100 possessions. Suggs’ estimated 3.2 defensive win shares in 2023-24 is more than his first two seasons (2.8) combined.

Nembhard’s consistency and Suggs’ flashes as a two-way player have both former Zags competing at the highest level in the NBA Playoffs as starters on their respective teams. Nembhard had six points and three assists in 30 minutes in Indiana’s 109-94 loss to the 3-seed Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Suggs struggled from the field in Orlando’s 97-83 loss to the 4-seed Cleveland Cavaliers, as he shot 4-of-16 from the floor and had 13 points.