It's Andrew Nembhard breakout season. The circumstances that led to this aren't happy, of course, as Tyrese Haliburton will miss the 2025-26 season after tearing his Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Even if Hali wasn't hurt, a breakout seemed obvious for Nembhard, who was sensational in the playoffs (and really good during the regular season, too). But with their star sidelined, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle knows that Nembhard will step into that de facto playmaker role, saying at Pacers media day that:
"With Ty out... This is assuming the lineup is as projected, with Mathurin at two and Aaron at three.