Mark Few praises Andrew Nembhard's 'incredible feel for the game'

Few players, regardless of experience, would attempt the pass Andrew Nembhard made during the second quarter of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics.

Standing on the right wing, the 6-foot-5 guard stood in a triple-threat position with Derrick White between him and the basket. Nembhard recognized Myles Turner had a favorable matchup in the post against a shorter Oshae Brissett, and by any means necessary the former Gonzaga standout was going to exploit the mismatch. Before Turner could even get three steps in the lane, Nembhard bulleted a pass around White and the outstretched arm from Brissett, who managed to beat Turner to the spot of the pass yet couldn’t make a play on it.

After an initial bobble, Turner secured the ball, turned and didn’t see a single defender in the paint as he threw down a two-hand dunk.

“There’s a small number of guys that even see some of these things [passes] that are available,” Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said of Nembhard. “Then you combine that with an even smaller number of guys that can actually put the ball in that small window. Especially at that level with all the athletes and the size … you gotta be a little confident/crazy to even attempt it.”

The second-quarter dime to Turner was one of many highlights from Nembhard’s 32-point, nine-assist outing against the East’s No. 1 seed. Two days later, he dropped 24 points, 10 assists and six rebounds in Game 4. Not bad for a former second-round pick in his first postseason run.

Even though Nembhard’s efforts came in losing efforts to the Celtics, who swept the Pacers in four games to advance to the NBA Finals, the maturity and level of playmaking exhibited by the 24-year-old throughout the playoffs should bode well for his long-term future in the association.

“He’s done everything and more to be able to really kind of set himself up for a truly long NBA career,” Dan Dickau said of Nembhard. “When you look at what he did over the playoffs, he has entrenched himself as an NBA-level starter.”

In 17 postseason games, Nembhard averaged 14.9 points, 5.5 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 56.0% from the field and 48.3% from 3-point range. The numbers coincide with his big moments this postseason — a clutch 3-pointer against New York to keep the Pacers out of a 3-0 hole, a 20-point game in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, followed by back-to-back high-scoring games in the Eastern Conference Finals. All while having to defend the likes of Damian Lillard, Jalen Brunson and even Jayson Tatum along the way, Nembhard was a major contributor on offense and knocked down some clutch jumpers against the Knicks and Celtics.

Particularly the most noticeable area of growth for Nembhard throughout the playoffs was his ability to make decisions as the ballhandler in pick-and-rolls. Per NBA.com stats, Nembhard shot 52.8% from the field and turned the ball over on 13.0% of possessions with him as the ballhandler in pick and rolls. Compare that to Nembhard’s 2023-24 regular season numbers — he shot 45.9% from the field and had a 15.3% turnover frequency.

Nembhard figured to fit in the NBA as mostly an off-ball guard, though he flashed the ability to play the lead guard role during his Gonzaga days. Indiana’s high-octane offense certainly flows through All-NBA guard Tyrese Haliburton, but the playoffs have proven that teams with multiple ballhandlers have the potential to go far. If Nembhard’s first postseason can translate to consistency moving forward, he and the Pacers are set up for a bright future with their young backcourt.

“Andrew’s just one of those guys that always sees it,” Few said. “Always a play ahead of the game. The game just slows down. And his passing ability, he doesn’t get enough credit for that.”

Gonzaga coach Mark Few on Andrew Nembhard's phenomenal court vision and feel for the game: "There's a small number of guys that even see some of these things that are available … Andrew's just one of those guys that just sees it. He's always a play ahead." pic.twitter.com/BioXs6CXh8
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