Ryan Nembhard’s number was finally called after a little over 2½ quarters of waiting on the bench.
It had been exactly two weeks since the Mavericks rookie played in a competitive game after nursing a left knee sprain, but his impact on the offensive end was felt as soon as he entered wide-open.
The two-way guard dished out four assists in a five-minute span, adding a new dimension to the offense as the team’s primary playmaker. That production carried over into the fourth quarter, specifically when three Miami Heat defenders surrounded him inside the paint, allowing the rookie guard to find P.J. Washington in the corner for a wide-open 3-pointer.
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Nembhard totaled a career-high seven assists Monday, providing a pass-first point guard option for Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, a skillset that is rare in today’s age of score-first lead guards.
“We all know his ability,” Kidd said. “We’re giving everyone an opportunity to play the point guard position. I thought Ryan took full advantage of that … Being able to organize and get guys to be in a position to be successful. I thought he did it at a high level and also, he was given an opportunity to score, and he took full advantage of that.”
Prior to Monday, Kidd used D’Angelo Russell as the backup to starter Brandon Williams. The veteran guard played just under 10 minutes in the first half, while Nembhard finished the game with a season-high of almost 17 minutes.
Nembhard has missed the last two weeks with a left knee sprain, which occurred during a routine workout earlier this month. His last game wasn’t with the Mavericks, but in the G League with the Texas Legends. He had a breakout performance of 26 points, 10 assists and three steals in a 118-105 win over the Memphis Hustle.
It’s an impressive feat for the NCAA’s assist leader last season. But Nembhard didn’t care for his individual success. He would’ve preferred for the Mavericks to escape the Kaseya Center with a rare win.
“It felt good,” Nembhard said from the visitor’s locker room. “I’m just trying to come out here and compete and do anything I can to help the team win. Obviously, we fell short of our goal.”
Nembhard’s most impressive pass was one that wasn’t completed. He threw a lob to Cooper Flagg, but the No. 1 pick missed the dunk. Nembhard jokingly directed a question about the play to his fellow rookie, who sat right at his locker on the other side of the room waiting for his turn to field questions.
“Y’all gotta ask him about that,” Nembhard said.
“Good pass,” Flagg said. “I think it was going in. I think I goaltended the shot.
Knowing Kidd’s substitution patterns, Nembhard will continue to receive an opportunity to play meaningful minutes as long as he’s contributing, which means he’ll have another chance to connect with Flagg in the future.
The Mavericks are now 5-14 and will prepare for a three-game road trip that’ll include a back-to-back against the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers, followed by a trip to the Mile High City to face the Denver Nuggets.
For a successful outcome, they’ll need their All-Star big man in Anthony Davis to return and perhaps a repeat effort from Nembhard, who has the approval of his teammates.
“I’m really impressed and happy for Ryan coming off the bench to get [seven] assists like that,” Max Christie said. “He was out for a while and for him to come right in and contribute like that, is really cool.”
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The 10-time All-Star has been out of the lineup since suffering a left calf strain against the Pacers on Oct. 29.
The Mavericks big man also offered insight to his surprise when learning of Nico Harrison’s firing earlier this month.
Lively is being evaluated for swelling and discomfort in his right foot, the organization announced on Tuesday.
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