Two big-city teams, the Lakers and the Knicks, were both beaten by Pacers guard Nembhard.
Nembhard beat the Lakers in the regular season last season and the Knicks in the playoffs this season.
In an interview after the game, Nembhard spoke about his two strikes: this one meant a little more than the one he scored in Los Angeles. I think in the last moments we got a little bit of a rhythm, even a little bit out of the ordinary, which created some space for the players to play tactically.
Nembhard didn't feel good in this game, shooting only 2-of-8 and not scoring in the first three quarters. Nembhard showed a big heart in the final moments, hitting a long-range three-pointer to make the series 1-2.
Pacers head coach Carlisle said after the game that Nembhard was one of the toughest players on the team, physically and mentally, and he was ready in the final moments.
The Rockets drafted Taytay in 2022 and threw away a first-round pick for nothing, and Stone missed out on "Haliburton, Canada" Nembhard.
Nembhard used to play alongside Chang in high school, and later chose the University of Florida. Nembhard's subsequent transfer to Gonzaga proved to be a wise decision, and he played well here, averaging 11.8 points and 5.8 assists in 32 minutes per game while shooting 38 percent from three-point range, attracting the attention of some NBA scouts.
Some scouts have compared Nembhard to Haliburton and believe he is perfectly capable of establishing himself in the NBA.
Born in 2000, Nembhard is a Canadian player with a 1.91m tall style of play who has a steady shooting style, is good at blocking and pick-and-roll, and can read the game. When caught in positional battles, Nembhard doesn't bury his head in the ball, but instead observes the opponent's defense and his team-mate's positioning, and chooses better attacking opportunities, so his mistakes are well controlled. Nembhard is also remarkable on the defensive end, full of energy.
Because he is an older rookie and has average athleticism, Nembhard's draft market is not high. The Rockets were in the first phase of a rebuild and were looking for a reliable point guard, and some draft experts suggested that the Rockets select him.
At that time, Houston's Fagan said that the Rockets' first-round pick could be selected as an instant player, but Stone didn't listen, and he chose Tytay Washington from the University of Kentucky.
Taitai was born in 2001, 1.91 meters tall, although he comes from a prestigious school, but he has a lot of shortcomings, mediocre physical fitness, unstable shooting, lack of breakthrough ability, defense can not withstand it, and potential injury hazards, the biggest selling point is passing.
The Rockets drafted Taytay with the No. 29 pick, while Nembhard was taken by the Pacers at No. 31.
Taytae was swept away after only 31 games for the Rockets, and Udoka couldn't look down on it. If Nembhard is drafted by the Rockets, he will likely become Udoka's favorite general.
Nembhard is averaging 12.7 points, 3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 0.9 turnovers per game in the playoffs this season while shooting 56% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range.
The Rockets were interested in Brogdon before the trade deadline this season, and Udoka wanted a backup point guard. If the Rockets had chosen Nembhard that year, they wouldn't have to worry about Brogdon anymore. I have to admit that Stone made a mistake in the 2022 draft.