Debrief: Andrew Nembhard took many steps forward. The intangibles may be most important.
Andrew Nembhard becoming a leader is maybe more important than becoming a point guard.
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Nembhard fielded a question from veteran reporter David Aldridge about the difficulty of going out and competing every night after getting so used to winning in the NBA. It was near the end of the 2025-26 season, and the Pacers were... decidedly not winning.
Nembard answered with a focus on his day-to-day processes. He talked about the competitiveness of his team, despite their record. "Bringing that energy every night when the season is getting to the end and we're already out of contention, it's only going to make us better for next season," he said. "Just having that competitive energy when it doesn't really matter."
That last sentence stopped me in my mental tracks. He was right in that the games didn't matter at that point. It was late March and the Pacers were nearly done securing their top-four lottery odds. The key measure of most games was development or knowledge gain. Nembhard, like the rest of the team, was trying to get better. But the season was nearing an end, and everyone could feel it.
Tony East
Yet that quote was also revealing in that Nembhard wanted to take advantage of the sunken situation. The games didn't matter. The offseason was mere weeks away. The most fun, competitive parts from the prior two seasons of his career weren't coming.
And despite all of that, he still tried to find something internal to keep his energy up on a day-to-day basis. In a season that featured Nembhard playing more point guard than he had during the earlier seasons of his career, the attention he put toward the intangibles may actually be what provides him the greatest long-term boost.
His teammates and coaches took notice. On multiple occasions this season, a Pacers player or coaching staff member pointed to Nembhard's leadership as something that improved. He used his voice more. And he had to – often, he was the team's best, or most experienced, player available.
By demeanor, Nembhard is more of a lead-by-example guy. But in a challenging season, he found a way to improve the important, unseen parts of being a primary ball handler. He led in other ways.
Nembhard echoed his teammates at his exit interview when asked about where he believed that he improved this season. "I think I've grown as a leader off the court," he said before pivoting to his on-court advancements.
Some of those: shooting, confidence in more shot creation situations, and ball handling. Those steps forward will no doubt be helpful for the Pacers next season when Tyrese Haliburton returns.
Yet perhaps more critically for Nembhard's career, he took steps forward off the court. He's not a veteran, per se, but next season will be his fifth. Talking, showing, and leading a team are more important parts of the job at that point in a career, especially for a team with lofty goals.
In that way, Nembhard made the most of the Pacers challenging season. He played in 57 games and averaged a career high 31.3 minutes per game. "I think I've always been a guy who tries to lead by example and go out there and show I can compete," Nembhard said. "But I think this year I was put in a position where I had to voice my opinion more, kind of rally the troops in a way."
In some situations, a quiet threat leading by example is enough. Who is any other Pacer to take a possession off when Nembhard is using tactics and power to have his way defensively for 30+ minutes a night? Following suit with the efforts of Nembhard, Nesmith, and others is what made the Pacers forceful defense improve during the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025.
But there's so much to a basketball team beyond the games, and that's when vocal leadership becomes important. Nembhard, as a combo guard, has a role that requires it at times behind the scenes.
The Pacers are a well-led team from a player perspective. Adding powerful voices is better, though, and Nembhard will have more spoken punch going forward. He had to make something of this gap year, and he found a way.
"I think just the ability to show up every day and compete and do what you need to do to be professional and what the team needs to win," Nembhard said of finding ways to get something out of stretches in which the team had less to play for.
The on-court grind matters a great deal. Nembhard averaged a career best 7.7 assists per game this season, good for ninth in the NBA. In just the 2026 portion of the regular season, he was sixth in this stat — ahead of Luka Doncic and James Harden.
That growth will be important. He shot a career-best 36.1% from deep despite taking more difficult attempts than in past seasons. Next year, his passing situations and jump shots will be far easier. In the future, 2026 could be remembered as a crucial year for Nembhard's efficiency.
But as it pertains to the Pacers current competitive window, Nembhard's improvement with his intangibles are more important. He'll have many chances to prove it in the future.
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