"Better than Dame": NBA fans agree to Mike Breen calling Pacers' Andrew Nembhard a future star
The Indiana Pacers may have found a breakout star in their ranks with the way Andrew Nembhard has been performing against the Boston Celtics. With Tyrese Haliburton playing the role of a cheerleader, Nembhard has been the Pacers' biggest revelation. Nembhard’s play nearly led Indiana to a Game 3 win and with Haliburton still out, he is carrying his team in a must-win Game 4.
Nembhard stunned the NBA two nights ago by dropping 21 first-half-points against the Celtics. He eventually finished with a 32-point, nine-assist and four-rebound performance that only made Pacers fans more hopeful despite the loss. Rick Carlisle has not hesitated to give the former Gonzaga star the keys of the offense while the team’s All-NBA guard is in street clothes.
Andrew Nembhard hasn’t had an explosive Game 4 compared to his previous display but he has still impressed many. Legendary play caller Mike Breen even said that the Pacers guard “is a future star.”
Fans promptly tossed in their thoughts following Breen’s comment:
“He’s better than Dame ngl”
One fan declared how the Pacers will treat Nembhard:
“Bro's gonna get a bag soon.”
Another fan asserted how his play would be more noticeable:
“All-Star on another team.”
@NotIsaacFrost sees similarities between Nembhard’s game to that of a New York Knicks franchise cornerstone:
“Jalen Brunson Jr.”
Andrew Nembhard’s value has come to light due to Tyrese Haliburton’s injury. He had his moments in the regular season without Haliburton but the series against the Celtics has been an eye-opener. Most fans thought the C's would run away minus Haliburton, but that hasn’t been the case largely because of Nembhard.
Pacers have another season to gauge Andrew Nembhard
The Indiana Pacers have a $2.01 million team option on Nembhard next season, a clause that they will likely exercise. It will be a shocker if Indiana does not continue his contract with the team with the way he has been playing. The Pacers front office will have one more season to look at him before offering him a significantly more lucrative and longer contract.
Last season, Caleb Martin nearly won the Eastern Conference finals MVP over Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. If not for the unheralded forward, Miami might not have survived the Boston Celtics in a classic seven-game series. Martin nearly stole the thunder by outplaying Boston's superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in stretches.
Unfortunately for Miami, Martin could not replicate the same in this year’s playoffs against the same opponents. The Pacers will be hoping Andrew Nembhard is not a one-season wonder. They will likely give him a bigger role for the 2024-24 campaign and see how he responds before giving him a big contract.