Last week, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report published an article citing the biggest X-factors for each NBA team heading into the 2024-25 season. In his article, Hughes mentioned a number of names from contending teams, including Boston Celtics great Xavier Tillman and recently acquired Klay Thompson from the Dallas Mavericks.
When it comes to who the Indiana Pacers’ biggest X-Factor is, there are a lot of different names that fit the mold. The most well-known names are Aaron Nesmith, Obi Toppin, and newcomer James Wiseman. However, Hughes played it safe and named Andrew Nembhard as the team’s biggest X-Factor for next season.
As Hughes puts it, an X-Factor is someone who has “delivered mixed results in the past” and “could determine the fate of the playoffs, the identity of the teams and even the overall trajectory of the franchise.” By that standard, Nembhard is a solid choice.
Last season, Nembhard spent his second season in the NBA. He averaged 9.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. While it was a small sample size, those numbers were career lows for the Canadian native. However, his shooting percentages (49.8% shooting and 35.7% from three-point range) were better than his rookie year.
Nembhard’s story so far is his impressive playoff run last season. In the Pacers’ Eastern Conference Finals run, the 24-year-old averaged 14.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Additionally, he shot 56.1 percent from the field and 48.1 percent from three-point range.
Nembhard played well throughout the playoffs, but he took things even further. in the conference final. Against the Celtics, he averaged 21 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists on 54.1 percent shooting and 47.6 percent from three-point range. That included a 32-point, nine-assist performance in Game 3.
The emergence of the young guard led him to land a multi-year contract extension with the Pacers. It’s safe to assume that Nembhard will play a larger role on the team next season. If he can look even slightly like the same player he was in the playoffs, he’ll be a huge boost to Indiana’s championship hopes.
