Andrew Nembhard was still in college at Florida the last time he played an international competition with his country. He played only 49 minutes (2.8 points and 2.4 assists on average) including 34 in the last two classification games to reach a modest 19th place in the World Cup in China.
Much water has passed under the bridge since then and the team has changed a lot, with Canada winning bronze at the last World Cup and set to be a formidable team for this summer’s Olympics.
The back line has also been strengthened with the presence of Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. But Andrew Nembhard intends to impose himself off the bench when it is necessary to rest one of the two stars.
A rhythm he knows well
“He doesn’t say much, but you feel it and you see it.”, says his coachJordi Fernandez. “He plays big. He can play with and without the ball. He defends. We can play a lot of different ways with a lot of different guys. I like the flexibility. And I like the fact that we have a lot of guys that can play multiple positions.”
To stand out, Andrew Nembhard will be able to highlight the similarities between the game that the coach wants to offer and the one he plays at the Pacers. That is, a game with a lot of intensity.
“Canada had the best pace at the last World Cup,” explains the back. “The Pacers had the second-fastest pace in the NBA, so it’s very similar. It’s a good feeling when you move the ball, especially when you have a lot of playmakers. It all plays to our strengths.”
Andrew Nembhard is also coming off a great playoff campaign with the Pacers. Rick Carlisle’s players created a surprise by first eliminating the Bucks, then the Knicks, before losing to the Celtics in the conference finals. A welcome experience before such a competition.
The opportunity to learn
“I had a lot of responsibility leading the game, which gave me good habits, I also think that these high-stakes games make you play under pressure”he believes. “There’s going to be some big games. It’s not like a series, you only get one chance, so I think it prepared me well.”
The Olympics will also be an opportunity for Andrew Nembhard to be surrounded by a particularly strong and competitive group. The Pacers player will still be able to learn.
“I’m also really looking forward to learning from being around Gilgeous-Alexander and Murray, seeing how they work on a day-to-day basis and seeing what I can take away from their game.”he concluded. “The biggest strength of this team will be our competitiveness. We have a lot of really competitive guys on the team. The biggest challenge for us is to accept our roles and see where we fit as a group.”
2024-07-05 13:47:41
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