What you missed from Ivica Zubac, Ethan Thompson, Jay Huff and Andrew Nembhard in international play

I cannot fault you for not being locked in to FIBA 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifiers early this month.

There was a lot going on. Free agency, mostly, in which the Pacers added Kelly Oubre and Larry Nance to their main roster. The NBA Draft had just ended. Summer league was approaching.

A few games played overseas slipped everyone's mind, and they weren't on a standard broadcast network. Yet four Pacers players did suit up for their national teams as Ivica Zubac (Croatia) Ethan Thompson (Puerto Rico) Jay Huff (United States) and Andrew Nembhard (Canada) all got in some rare meaningful summer action.

It was revealing in all sorts of ways. Let's take a peek.

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The Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever, up close

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Ivica Zubac: Croatia

Croatia played against Cyprus and Israel during Zubac's two games and had a massive talent advantage, beating the former by more than 70 points. That is worth keeping in mind as it pertains to the things Zubac did.

Mostly what he did was mash down low and be a dominant paint presence. Zubac didn't take a single three. Instead, much of his offensive impact was concentrated on plays he finished right around the basket. And he finished those plays well, shooting 81% from the field.

As it pertains to comparing what Zubac did for Croatia to his Pacers experience, to me the standout difference was in his speed and body. It's never easy to tell these things through a broadcast, but the veteran big man seemed lighter, yet not so much that it changed his bruising style. Some things are taken away via any dropped weight, but Zubac could really move.

Here he is running end-to-end for a dunk against Israel:

That is just one play, but Zubac ran like that often. Post play is more important within FIBA rules, so Zubac spent more time around the basket on both ends. Mobility was required, and he got where he needed to be on the court.

The NBA game is faster than the FIBA game, so Zubac's agility will be of note when the coming season starts – and even more so within the Pacers system. Indiana only got to see a recovering version of Zubac for five games, then he suffered a rib injury.

He looked totally fine in the health department, too. His screens were gnarly, as usual:

Zubac averaged 21 points, 10.5 rebounds, and three assists per game.

(Also: Mario Hezonja is reportedly coming over to the NBA this season again, and he played with Zubac for Croatia. Some of his passes were incredible.)

Ethan Thompson: Puerto Rico

Thompson, his brother, and former Pacer Enrique Freeman highlighted this Puerto Rico squad, and Thompson was often the team's best player on the floor. Naturally, he was asked to take the ball up the floor and operate as a point guard more than he did even for the Pacers or the Boom.

At one point in a loss vs the Bahamas, the broadcast crew called Thompson a "certified bucket." That has long been his sales pitch, and it extended into international play.

He had a ton of responsibilities and wowed with his jump shooting – during the two games, Thompson knocked down 53.8% of his outside shots.

There was an element of "well, somebody has to do this," as it pertained to Thompson's playmaking, but he did finish with four assists per contest. That far exceeds what he's ever been asked to do on an NBA court but does match a lot of what Thompson has historically done in the G League – he averaged 5.6 assists per game for the Boom last season, for example.

Here he is dotting a three out of a pick-and-roll:

Every time I watched Thompson play in Noblesville last season, I felt like a big scoring night was coming for him in the NBA at some point. That never happened. But his performance with Puerto Rico continued to show that he is a gifted scorer and useful-enough shot creator. He did drive right at guys, especially in transition, at times to his detriment. But slamming into NBA defenders does create some good reps – and Thompson spent time going against the likes of Nembhard, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Buddy Hield, V. J. Edgecombe, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, among others.

He didn't play in summer league – instead, he did something more challenging. Keep that in mind as two-way contracts are evaluated by the Pacers front office. Thompson averaged 15.5 points and four assists per game. He made 45.5% of his two-point shots.

Andrew Nembhard: Canada

Eye emoji.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wanted to play off the ball more often. Jamal Murray didn't play at all. Nembhard, who came off the bench for Team Canada in the Olympics two summers ago, was running the show often this time around.

This coming on the heels of Nembhard averaging 8.5 assists per game after the calendar flipped to 2026 (fifth in the NBA) was telling. He's gotten a ton of reps at point guard in the last half a year and should be more able to punish defenses next season even as he returns to an older role.

That said, even with more caretaker responsibilities, what popped most about Nembhard was his scoring. He averaged 20 points per game and shot 84.6% on two-point shots – yes, that's better than Zubac.

Canada seemed to function well with Nembhard and SGA in these roles, though their competition compared to the Olympics was weaker. Still, Nembhard looked great, and I continue to wonder if more shot creation chances will be coming his way in the coming campaign with Tyrese Haliburton returning from injury and T.J. McConnell turning 35 mid-season.

Jay Huff: United States

The announcers called Huff "James" in these games. It took a shockingly long time for me to adjust to that.

Huff, like Zubac, faced the classic FIBA reality of being a more necessary threat around the basket as opposed to from beyond the arc. Not that Huff didn't shoot at all – he finished with just three attempts from long range in two games.

Over 60% of his shot attempts have been threes in the NBA. That number, albeit in a two-game sample, was 27% for the United States. Huff's size and presence down low were more of note than his typical NBA role.

That said, his defensive role was challenging. Opposing teams targeted Huff a lot, and it didn't end well for the USA. Huff switched sometimes, too, a sight to see and a rarity for the Pacers last year.

It's good that Huff was asked to expand his game and play an unfamiliar role, though he did struggle with it at times. That said, he made six of his eight two-point attempts and averaged 10 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

He also blocked five shots in two games, including one that won Team USA their first game.

Huff's defense felt better than his offense. He'll need both sides of the ball to be more even in the NBA this season.

Here's a podcast on all this and more (except Huff, who I just forgot to talk about somehow?)

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