“Is That Andrew Nembhard Or Tyreese?!?”: Trae Young Perplexed Over The Pacers Guard’s Exceptional Play Against Boston

The Indiana Pacers‘ championship dreams ended embarrassingly after the Boston Celtics swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, these recent adversities paved the way for the sudden yet spectacular rise of Andrew Nembhard. Consequently, his endeavors also caught the eyes of the NBA world, with Trae Young even jokingly confusing him for Tyrese Haliburton.

Upon witnessing Nembhard’s heroics in Game 4 against the Celtics, the Atlanta Hawks star openly praised the youngster. Drawing hilarious parallels between the Canadian guard and the Pacers’ talisman, Haliburton, Young wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “Is this Andrew Nembhard or Tyreese?!? Either way he hoopin!”.

This put into focus how impactful Nembhard was in the Conference Finals series. Despite averaging 9.2 points, 4.1 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game in the regular season, the 24-year-old came into his own against the Celtics. In the four clashes against the NBA giants, the Pacers star recorded an impressive run of 21.0 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Furthermore, he played a key role in holding the fort in the absence of Haliburton in the last two games. For instance, in Game 3, Nembhard registered a career-high playoff stat line of 32 points, and 9 assists while shooting a remarkable 57.1% from the field. In Game 4, the Canadian came back with a similarly impressive performance, recording 24 points, and 10 assists.

So, it’s rather clear that the times of crisis brought the best out of Nembhard. But what does this sudden burst of quality mean for his future with the Indiana Pacers?

What’s next for Andrew Nembhard?

The Pacers entered the Conference Finals as the underdogs to begin with. On top of this, the unavailability of Haliburton from midway through the series only compounded on their agony.

Despite the odds being stacked against them, the franchise still found a way to go toe-to-toe against the Celtics, banking on the capabilities of Nembhard.

Particularly in Game 4, they even led at home by the end of the third quarter. However, their string of misfortune eventually caught up to them as the team failed to score a basket in the last 3:33 minutes of the clash right before succumbing to the pressure.

Despite the miserable outcome, one question spurs into the minds of the Pacers supporters – should the franchise build its core around Nembhard? The youngster showcased his caliber as a competitor to the entire world. Simultaneously, his attributes shone the brightest only when the roster displayed blind faith in them.

This puts the Pacers’ management at a difficult juncture. On the one hand, building the team around Haliburton could continue to heavily limit the individual qualities of Nembhard, evident from their regular season run. However, on the other hand, their current talisman has reached the status of All-Star in recent years and has given hope of a brighter future for the franchise.

So, the ball is now in the Pacers’ court. Undoubtedly, their preference will be to retain both these youngsters for years to come. However, can they find the optimum way the two stars can work together?