Mavs’ Ryan Nembhard, an undrafted rookie, making case to resolve point guard issues – The Athletic
In a podcast appearance on “The Zach Lowe Show” last week, longtime NBA coach Stan Van Gundy made a case for what he believes is an essential and sometimes overlooked ingredient to NBA success.
“People look at NBA players, and I think they see size, athleticism, skills — and that’s the comparison,” Van Gundy said. “Obviously, you’ve got to have all those things at some level to be a very good NBA player. But I think what separates guys is decision making. The best players are the best decision makers.”
The Dallas Mavericks on Monday faced the player who is arguably the best decision maker in the game. Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić posted a monstrous stat line of 29 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists, but the Mavericks were still able to come away with a 131-121 road win in large part because of the sound decisions one of their own players made.
Ryan Nembhard, an undrafted rookie, started at point guard and submitted a near-perfect performance. The 22-year-old Canadian, currently on a two-way deal with the Mavericks, scored 28 points on 12-of-14 shooting and added 10 assists with zero turnovers. Nembhard was the first rookie to achieve those numbers since Stephon Marbury in 1996.
“He knows who he is, and that’s kind of refreshing,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters in Denver.
Ryan Nembhard entered rare air with his performance last night!
He joined Stephon Marbury and Michael Finley as the ONLY rookies in NBA history with 25+ points, 10+ assists, and 0 turnovers in a single game since 1977-78, the first season turnovers were fully recorded. https://t.co/SCGnnrXVsD pic.twitter.com/zxcJMDJ85r
— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2025
Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard who ranks third on the all-time assists list, has cycled through several options at his former position this year. Early in the season, Kidd tried No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg at point guard. The adjustment to playing out of position as an 18-year-old was rough, so Kidd moved off the decision after seven games. D’Angelo Russell was in the starting group for three games in November before Kidd pivoted again and turned to Brandon Williams, a speedy guard who spent most of last season on a two-way deal.
In the three games the Mavericks have played after Thanksgiving, Kidd has given Nembhard the chance to be a starter, and Nembhard has taken advantage of it. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 5.7 assists and 1.3 turnovers as a member of the starting five. With Nembhard making high-percentage plays and Anthony Davis back in the lineup — playing center and not power forward — Dallas’ languid offense has finally started to show signs of life.
The Mavericks had what, statistically, was their third-best offensive performance of the season Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Then, on Monday against the Nuggets, the Mavericks averaged 128.4 points per 100 possessions, their best mark in a game all year.
Davis, Flagg and Nembhard combined for 84 points and 18 assists.
“It’s above my pay grade, but I don’t know if he’s going to be a two-way too much longer,” Davis told reporters about his undrafted teammate.
Nembhard has always been an elite decision maker. As a senior at Gonzaga, he led college basketball in assists. His passing ability and low-mistake playing style led to the Mavericks taking a chance on him, even though Nembhard — the younger brother of 6-foot-4 Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard — was measured at 5-foot-11 and 176 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine in May.
For Nembhard to continue making an impact at the NBA level, he’ll have to keep making enough shots. He was a so-so 3-point shooter in college, converting 34.7 percent of his triples on 3.9 attempts per game. The Nuggets dared Nembhard to make open jumpers Monday, and he delivered, knocking down 8 of 9 “open” or “wide-open” jumpers, according to NBA.com tracking data.
“He took the shots that were there for him,” Kidd told reporters. “The big thing is his teammates enjoy being out there with him because they know they have a chance of getting the ball.”
With Nembhard on the floor, the Mavericks can at least be assured that he’ll hunt for the best available shot. That has been one of the problems with Russell’s time in Dallas so far. Russell can make off-balance 3s and deliver flashy passes, but his shot selection has been shaky. In the two games Dallas played in Los Angeles last weekend, Kidd left Russell out of the rotation entirely.
Nembhard’s sparkling performance against the Nuggets allowed the Mavericks (7-15) to win back-to-back games for the first time all season. They’ll take their modest two-game winning streak into Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat.
Expect Nembhard to continue receiving big minutes. The Mavericks are confident they can count on their diminutive rookie to make the right play, which is no small thing.
“Hubie Brown used to say, ‘It’s not who can shoot, who can pass and who can dribble,’” Van Gundy said. “It’s the guys who know when to shoot, when to pass and when to dribble.”
