‘I feel comfortable’: A solid Indiana Pacers’ contributor, Andrew Nembhard keeps tabs on his Zags, dreams of Olympics
DALLAS – Andrew Nembhard is having another solid season with Indiana, his second in the NBA after the Pacers selected him in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft.
Through 52 games (31 starts), the former Gonzaga Bulldogs guard is averaging 9.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
“Comfort (is the biggest difference between this season and my rookie year). As you play games, it slows down more and more,” he said before a recent Pacers road in Dallas. “As you get more comfortable, you find out what makes you you in this league. I feel comfortable about who I am.”
One reason why he feels more comfortable this season is because of his regular work with Jenny Boucek, a Pacers assistant who puts him through the paces before each game. Boucek was a collegiate star at Virginia, the same alma mater as Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle. Carlisle hired her as an assistant in Dallas in 2018. She also was an assistant on two WNBA champions before coming to the NBA.
She and Nembhard developed a quick rapport, and the affable former Bulldogs player said her guidance has had a big impact.
“She’s an elite basketball mind. I think she’s great at helping build young men in this league,” he said of Boucek. “She understands everything, the difficulties and the ins and outs of everything on and off the court. She’s a good person to lean on. On top of that with the skill development, she’s allowed me to look at things a lot of different ways and helps find things to improve my shot. I love to work. I love the opportunity to have a relationship with her. She has helped me a lot.”
Nembhard played in Spokane from 2020 to 2022. Last month, he returned to the Kennel to see younger brother Ryan – a first-team All-West Coast Conference pick – notch a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards in a GU win against Pacific.
“It was fun. It’s fun watching him play,” he said of the Feb. 17 visit. “I love watching him hoop. It’s just good to be back in Spokane, see all the people, see (coach Mark Few), see the coaching staff. It was just fun being at home.
“I’m proud (of Ryan), for sure. He’s always surprised me with how good he is and how good he can keep getting and I love watching him. I can’t say I’m surprised that he got that (first-team All-WCC). I’m happy for him.”
Like every member of the Gonzaga basketball family, he didn’t panic when the Bulldogs were struggling earlier in the season and found themselves out of the Top 25. It’s a good bet Tuesday’s loss to Saint Mary’s in the West Coast Conference Tournament championship didn’t dampen his enthusiasm.
“You’ve got good hoopers over there, a good coaching staff and they’ve won before. It just takes time to gel with a lot of new guys sometimes and they have a lot of new guys in big roles,” Nembhard said last week. “It takes time and I think they’re hitting their stride nicely right now.”
Last season, he was part of a rookie class that also featured fellow former GU star Chet Holmgren, who missed last season with a foot injury. The two squared off on Tuesday night, with Nembhard scoring 14 points in the Pacers’ 121-111 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Holmgren finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
“It’s cool. Me and Chet came in at the same time, even though this is his first year playing. I’m happy to see him doing really, really well,” Nembhard said. “He loves to hoop, a great dude. Just in general, love playing against those guys (from Gonzaga), competing and to see them do well.”
While he’s focused on the Pacers’ stretch run to the NBA playoffs this spring, he said he’s also thinking about the Paris Summer Olympics and the possibility of representing Team Canada.
“I want to play with those guys,” he said. “I played most years growing up and it would be fun to play with a bunch of guys I grew up playing with. Every player wants to play in the Olympics. It’s something you can’t turn down, such a great experience. I think we have a real chance at winning it. I’m happy to have that opportunity, possibly.”
Speaking of Zags from Canada in the NBA, Nembhard was pleased to see Kelly Olynyk sign a two-year, $26.25 million extension with his hometown team, the Toronto Raptors, in early March.
“Kelly is a super nice guy, love being around him. He took me under his wing when I was in high school on the national team,” he said. “Playing with those guys, he was always super supportive and like seeing him around the league.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas.