Latest news with #Nembhard
New York Times
16-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Mavericks two-way signee Ryan Nembhard has NBA model: his older brother Andrew
The January 2021 meeting between Montverde Academy and IMG Academy was stuffed with star power. Montverde had future NBA lottery pick Jalen Duren and eventual pros Dariq Whitehead and Caleb Houstan on its roster. IMG, meanwhile, put two future NBA lottery picks, Jarace Walker and Jett Howard, on the floor, and started another soon-to-be pro, current Charlotte Hornets center Moussa Diabaté. Advertisement 'Between us and IMG, we had like nine guys in the top 50,' said Kevin Boyle, who was Montverde's boys basketball coach for 14 years. 'I'm like, 'The best guy in the gym is Ryan Nembhard. And he's the only one not ranked.'' In Boyle's eyes, that meeting between the two Florida prep school powerhouses was more proof that Nembhard was not to be underestimated. The Aurora, Canada native was his usual rock-solid self, notching 10 points, five rebounds and four assists. Montverde hung on to beat IMG 55-51, part of its 24-1 season. Nembhard played two years at Creighton and then two years at Gonzaga. As a senior in Spokane, Wash., he led the nation in assists. His 181 assists in West Coast Conference play were a conference record. He racked up nearly four assists for every one turnover. Nembhard is allergic to making low-percentage plays, but his size prevented him from being a first-round pick. At the NBA Draft Combine, Nembhard was measured at 5-feet-11, sans shoes, while weighing 176 pounds. In June, Nembhard agreed to sign a two-way contract with the Dallas Mavericks in undrafted free agency. Through three games at NBA Summer League, he has been a steadying presence, averaging 11.3 points (40.6 percent shooting) and 6.7 assists. 'I've been kind of dealing with it my whole life,' Nembhard said about being an undersized guard. 'I am who I am. I'm not going to grow much more. I'm just looking to build on this opportunity I'm getting. At a certain point, the height won't be talked about anymore. At the end of the day, you just have to roll the ball out and play hoops.' Nembhard tries to emulate other diminutive guards such as Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet. Defensively, Nembhard likes what he sees from New Orleans Pelicans pest Jose Alvarado, who picks up ballhandlers full court and stays attached to their chests once they cross the half-court line. There's one other player Nembhard models his game after, too. Advertisement 'Obviously, my brother,' he said. Andrew Nembhard is three years older than Ryan. The Indiana Pacers took him with the 31st pick in the 2022 NBA draft. A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Andrew has become an essential part of a Pacers team that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago and were one win away from being crowned NBA champions in June. Ryan attended Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City. As gut-wrenching as it was to watch Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton go down with an Achilles tear in the first quarter, Nembhard was still proud that his older brother's team had the 68-win Thunder on the ropes before the injury. 'Everyone thought Indy was going to be out and it was going to be a quick series,' Nembhard said. 'They showed their fight.' Boyle coached both Nembhard brothers at Montverde. Before the 2022 NBA Draft, he warned teams not to discount how much Andrew could impact a game's outcome. Before this year's draft, he was spreading a similar message about Ryan. 'With Andrew, I was telling so many teams to draft him and take him,' Boyle said. 'About three teams came to me and said, 'We should have took him.' Both brothers are elite at decision-making and knowing how to play.' In the Mavericks' first Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Nembhard showed his savviness. He played on and off the ball, with Dallas giving heavy point guard reps to No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. Nembhard finished with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and five assists. While he had a bad game against the San Antonio Spurs two days later (scoring two points on 1-of-10 shooting), Nembhard rebounded Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, tallying 11 points and eight assists in Dallas' loss. 'He has such a command of the game and command of the floor,' said Mavericks assistant Josh Broghamer, who's coaching Dallas in Las Vegas. 'He's always going to have those guys set. Where he wants them to be. And he's already reading that second, that third layer of the defense before he comes off (the screen).' Advertisement Nembhard faces an uphill battle in the NBA because of his size. But the Canadian pick-and-roll maestro has a chance to make an impact in the league because of his headiness. Kyrie Irving is expected to be sidelined for most of the upcoming season while he recovers from a torn ACL. The Mavericks signed D'Angelo Russell — another former Montverde player — to fill in at starting point guard in Irving's place. Behind Russell, the Mavericks have Dante Exum, Brandon Williams and potentially Nembhard, depending on how quickly he can adapt. 'They showed the most love (during the predraft process),' Nembhard said. 'I think they really wanted me. They showed the most care for me. And I feel like I have a chance to come do something over here.'
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Andrew Nembhard Has Been the Unsung Hero for Indiana Pacers
Andrew Nembhard Has Been the Unsung Hero for Indiana Pacers originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Andrew Nembhard has emerged as a key difference-maker for the Indiana Pacers throughout their Cinderella postseason run. Advertisement Nembhard's impact often goes beyond the stat sheet, but he has been a reliable secondary playmaker and versatile defender during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. In Game 1 of the NBA finals, Nembhard posted a stat line of 14 points, four rebounds, and six assists to help the Pacers steal a 111-110 road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Nembhard's two-way impact was instrumental down the stretch as Indiana mounted their thrilling comeback. "He made plays at both ends," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of Nembhard's contributions. "The one stop on Shai at the end was a big play, and then we got the rebound. There was the step-back three, which was a big momentum play. I think it went from six to three. And there was an and-one, he got to the rim...A lot of big plays and you've got to have playmakers against Oklahoma City. They make it so difficult defensively." Advertisement Nembhard provided a steadying presence for Indiana in his first-ever NBA Finals game, playing both under control and in rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. Nembhard was also tasked with guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, forcing his Olympic teammate to go just 3-of-9 against him in their head-to-head matchups. 'If there's a guy that we want guarding the last possession, it's Drew,' Pacers guard T.J. McConnell said. Nembhard and the Indiana Pacers will look to secure another road victory in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday at 7 p.m. CST. Related: How Indiana Pacers Will Rely on Andrew Nembhard vs. New York Knicks Related: Caitlin Clark Reacts to Indiana Pacers' Comeback Performance This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Indianapolis Star
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Pacers won Game 6 with hobbled Tyrese Haliburton the way they had to -- with all of them
INDIANAPOLIS – The Pacers were down early in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to the Thunder with their superstar hobbled. Their shots weren't falling, and a duo in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams that just hit historic levels was ready to drive one final knife into the collective hearts at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Then Andrew Nembhard had something to say. The starting shooting guard caught a fireball pass from Tyrese Haliburton in the high corner and drilled a 3. On the next possession, he grabbed a quick pass from Aaron Nesmith and drilled another 3 from the top of the key. Then he scored again on the very next trip down the court. In a flash, Nembhard poured in more points in three possessions than he managed all of Game 5, back when he fell apart in the second half with four backbreaking turnovers, a night emblematic of how the fort around Haliburton collapsed under the weight of his newly aching calf. Re-live the Pacers unbelievable run to the 2025 NBA Finals with IndyStar's commemorative book And his outburst to start Game 6 was illustrative of a flip of the switch that athletes promise but too often fall short of. The Pacers said they would bounce back, but they fully believed it once those shots went in and a deficit turned into a lead and a crowd roared and a favorite pressed and a 108-91 victory changed the trajectory, or at least brought one more chance to write a legacy. 'We've got one game. One game," Haliburton said. "Nothing that's happened before matters. And nothing that's going to happen after matters." MORE: Put the champagne back on ice. Pacers go nuclear, blow out Thunder to force Game 7 of NBA Finals With his early scoring outburst and defense to hold league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a series-low 21 points, Nembhard sparked a night that was about the survival and drive of Haliburton but also so much more. There was Nesmith's terrorizing of Williams and Pascal Siakam's 13 rebounds and posterizing dunk over Williams and Obi Toppin's 20 points off the bench and the collective defensive trouncing of a Thunder duo and a team that so many expected to run away with this series, or at least a potentially deciding Game 6 against a Pacers team that appeared to be running out of gas. Once more, these Pacers had more in the tank than anyone knew they had. "You've got a group of guys who all have all had a somewhat similar path of being overlooked," center Myles Turner said. "You have guys like Aaron Nesmith and Pascal getting traded and Tyrese getting traded and Nembhard is a second-round pick. "I think we all carry a little bit of that weight with us. When you put a bunch of guys like that together, that starts to add up." This was the Pacers, doing what they have done this postseason: They defy odds, upset title favorites and laugh in the face of deficits. To date, that's come in individual games and largely on the last-second heroics of a healthy Haliburton. Thursday presented a different test, down 3-2 in the series after back-to-back losses and on the verge of elimination while facing mounting uncertainty about the head of their snake. Every question entering Thursday night's game centered around that calf Haliburton strained and whether or not he could even play or muster more than the four points and zero shots he managed in the loss. Despite an injury that could have long-term risk, Indiana's star put some short-term questions to rest with a 14-point, 5-assist performance. But lost in that conversation was everyone else who has made this run what it is. DEFINING JERMAINE O'NEAL: How fatherhood and an NBA Finals run brought Jermaine O'Neal back to the Pacers If they were going to win this game with a hobbled star against an 84-win Thunder team with an all-time defense, it was going to take them all -- the supporting guards, the men in the paint, the Robin to Haliburton's Batman in Siakam, the league's premier bench, the veteran coach and a Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd that needed to bring the pressure rather than feel it. For the first two rounds of these playoffs, the fourth-seeded Pacers rose up like they did to reach last year's Eastern Conference Finals, by pouncing on Bucks and Cavs teams with injured stars. But these past two series, against the Knicks and Thunder, have been about winning critical games in clutch and blowout fashion with a best-on-best mentality. Results ultimately write the history, and these results have shown that the Pacers' best was something still underrated entering their 104th game. Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City will be for all of the memories. 'It's crazy. We're playing to the last possible day," Nesmith said. "I'm just trying to celebrate for the next three months.'
NBC Sports
12-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Offensive-minded Pacers use high-pressure defense to take 2-1 Finals lead on Thunder
INDIANAPOLIS — It started on the opening play of the game: Andrew Nembhard met Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, out high on the pick-and-roll and was into his body. When the Thunder star made his move and drove, Nembhard was still right there, drew an offensive foul when SGA hit him in the head with his off-arm. That play set the tone for the night. As much as the Pacers are known for their free-flowing up-tempo offense, they lead the NBA Finals 2-1 because they played an elite defensive game Wednesday night. 'We've put an incredible amount of work into becoming better defensively,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'We're still not great. But we're way better than we were. It's taken tons of work. It's taken tons of, you know, it's constant relationship building. It's a difficult system. And it just requires a lot of sacrifice.' Nembhard was at the heart of that defensive improvement, spending 8:39 of the game guarding Gilgeous-Alexander and holding him to 2-of-7 shooting in that time. He wasn't alone, Aaron Nesmith had a strong defensive game. One of the quiet sparks of the night was Ben Sheppard coming off the bench in the first half and playing fantastic defense on SGA, holding him to 1-of-4 shooting in the 2:39 he was on him. Nembhard or whoever was guarding SGA were up in the body of the MVP all night, meeting him much higher on the court than Game 2. 'I didn't think they really changed their schemes very much. I just thought they were sharper with the physicality and the pressure,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Their physicality was stronger than our force in a lot of those possessions.' 'I think in Game 2 specifically, if you watch a lot of my coverages, I did a poor job of being at the level [of the screen],' Haliburton said. 'I was back and then he could come off and he had so much space… I thought that was something we really had to clean up coming into today.' 'They were aggressive. They were high in the pick-and-rolls,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'They were, like Coach said, more aggressive, more forceful… They were higher tonight in the pick-and-rolls. They were above the screen. When you come off it, you got to go backwards.' It wasn't just the defense on Gilgeous-Alexander. Myles Turner had five blocked shots on the night and dominated his matchup with Chet Holmgren late. BLOCK. STAY IN FRONT. ANOTHER BLOCK. FORCE THE TURNOVER. LET 'EM KNOW, MYLES 😤😤😤 Then there was T.J. McConnell, who fired up the crowd with three hustle-play steals of inbounds passes (and five total steals on the night). T.J. DID IT AGAIN!!! HIS 5th STEAL AND THE BUCKET TO TIE IT 🤯 Thunder (1-1) Pacers going down to the wire on ABC 👀 'When T.J. is playing with that type of energy, I mean, obviously the crowd loves him,' Pascal Siakam said. 'So it's great for us because every time he does something good, they go crazy.' This Pacers defense didn't come out of nowhere. While they struggled on that end (and in general) in the first couple of months of the season, after Jan. 1, they became a top-10 defensive team in the league. After the All-Star break, the Pacers ranked eighth in the league defensively, boasting a 111.5 defensive rating. In their two wins this series, the Pacers have held the Thunder to an offensive rating of 107.9 and 107.3, in the one loss it was 126. If the Pacers can bring that same defensive effort in Game 4 and keep Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder on their heels, they have the chance to take command of this series. It's going to be all about their defense.
Toronto Star
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Star
O Canada: Finals matchup between Olympic teammates Gilgeous-Alexander and Nembhard getting attention
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The NBA Finals. East vs. West. Indiana vs. Oklahoma City. Canada vs. ... Canada? It sure seemed like it at times in Game 1 of the series, anyway — and odds are, there will be more of those moments throughout the rest of this matchup between the Pacers and Thunder. There are four Canadians in the series, and two of them — NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for the Thunder and Andrew Nembhard for the Pacers — went head-to-head plenty in Game 1. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points; Nembhard scored eight of his 14 in the fourth and was on the floor for the entirety of Indiana's 32-16 run that ended the game and turned a 15-point deficit into a one-point win. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'He's a competitor. He's a winner,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Plays the game the right way on both ends of the floor. Really good player. Yeah, he's a winner for sure. No doubt.' They have been playing alongside each other since they were kids and were teammates on Canada's national team at the Paris Olympics in 2024. And they saw plenty of each other on both ends of the floor in Game 1, plus weren't afraid to mix it up with a little extra push here or choice words there. Nothing over the line, but enough to remind the other that it's all business right now. 'Nothing more than two guys wanting to win,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'No malicious intent behind it, just wanting to win.' Oklahoma City's Lu Dort and Indiana's Bennedict Mathurin are the other two Canadians in the finals. The four Canadian players combined for 72 points in Game 1; that's the most ever in any finals game by players from any individual country other than the U.S. That smashed the previous mark for points from Canadians in a finals game; it was 34, all from Jamal Murray, for Denver in Game 3 against Miami in 2023. 'It's amazing for our country,' Nembhard said. It's not just Gilgeous-Alexander who has long-time familiarity with Nembhard. Thunder forward Chet Holmgren played with Nembhard at Gonzaga as well. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'Obviously, he's my guy, great dude,' Holmgren said. 'I have a lot of compliments for him as a basketball player and a person. But we're playing against him right now, so I'm going to hold on to all those.' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle knows the Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nembhard matchup might be viewed by some as a game within the game. He said Nembhard 'loves the challenge' of matching wits with Gilgeous-Alexander. 'I mean, you don't stop players today,' Carlisle said. 'You try to make it hard. He played with Shai on the Olympic team and so they have familiarity. They are both from Canada and they both have played a lot with and against each other over the years. But this is the ultimate challenge, a guy like him who is the MVP.' ___ AP NBA:
