Andrew Nembhard
Nembhard is Indiana's starting guard next to a returned Tyrese Haliburton, and the only regular-season sample so far shows him still handling a lot of on-ball work.
Role
Rotowire's Oct 22 note has him playing 34 minutes on opening night, a 123-120 win over the Pelicans. Rotowire and CBS Sports both had him projected to start at shooting guard beside Haliburton. Preseason reports said the staff closely monitored the minutes of every projected starter. I did not find reporting on back-to-back rest plans or a minutes target for the regular season. I did not fetch the live lineup page, so I can't say who started around him after opening night.
Rotowire's read after opening night (Oct 22) was that he kept a significant on-ball role even with Haliburton back. He had 18 points, nine assists and one steal on 6-of-10 shooting. He also signed a three-year, $59 million extension, which points to a long-term place in the backcourt.
With Haliburton back, Nembhard goes from lead playmaker to second option. Fox Sports noted that preseason usage alongside Haliburton was the early test of the new split. He shot 0-of-3 from three on opening night and 0-of-1 in a quiet preseason game with Haliburton. Our data shows only 3 games played last season, so there is little recent healthy-season baseline to lean on. Reports from March 2026 mention several injuries, and his preseason absence on Oct 13 was listed as undisclosed.
Where analysts split
The open question is how much on-ball usage and playmaking Nembhard keeps once Haliburton is fully back. The evidence is one game of Rotowire commentary saying he kept a large role, and no analyst argument against it turned up. This is an open question, not a documented split between analysts.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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