After going undrafted, Ryan Nembhard has emerged as a Dallas Mavericks revelation, orchestrating the offense and defying expectations.
DALLAS — Ryan Nembhard didn’t begin this season as a priority for most NBA teams, but he may be finishing it as one of the league’s most unlikely success stories.
Before he ever ran a single possession for the Dallas Mavericks, Nembhard was fighting just to get in front of decision-makers. He spent the months before the draft lugging suitcases from one airport to the next, auditioning for nearly every team willing to take a look. Yet it was only after the draft concluded — after 20 team workouts failed to turn into a selection — that he finally found a franchise ready to invest in him.
Those who see him now, orchestrating the Mavericks’ offense with the poise of a veteran while averaging 14.8 points and 6.8 assists across his recent run of starts, often don’t realize how narrowly his break came. The grind began long before Dallas entered the picture.
“I went to the G League combine, then I went to the real (NBA) combine, then I had 20 workouts,” Nembhard said of the pre-draft gauntlet he endured.
Despite the effort, his name wasn’t called. Dallas signed him to its Summer League roster anyway, later converting that opportunity into a two-way contract. Only then did Nembhard’s trajectory begin to stabilize.
Surrounded by veteran scorers and playmakers, the 5-foot-11 guard quickly gained a reputation as the teammate players most enjoyed sharing the floor with.
P.J. Washington said the answer begins with the way Nembhard dictates pace.
“He knows how to control the game, he knows how to speed up and slow down,” Washington said, praising his mid-range touch and passing instincts.
Washington expanded on why the locker room has rallied around him.
“I’d say controlling the pace, making sure everybody gets their touches, making sure everybody feels involved, and just finding his (shot) as well,” he said. “He knows how to read a defense and just take whatever they give us.”
Dallas’ offense has loosened and quickened under his direction, a shift not lost on teammates who’ve watched possession after possession get easier. Even Brandon Williams — the player who lost his starting role to Nembhard — said his impact is obvious.
“Even if he’s not getting the assist, (he gets) the hockey assist – a swing, swing,” he said. “The ball is moving with him on the floor and everybody likes that.”
What Williams experienced last season — earning a standard NBA contract after a strong stretch — now appears within reach for Nembhard as well. His confidence has grown as opponents begin to adjust their scouting reports.
“I think I’m definitely on the scouting report now, for sure,” Nembhard said. “There’s a little more attention on me.”
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd sees a young guard displaying many of the same principles that guided his own Hall of Fame career.
“He’s steady, guys love playing with him and he’s taking shots that present themselves,” Kidd said. “But he’s playing the game at a very high level and playing the game the right way.”
Kidd said Nembhard’s temperament is what stands out most.
“His calmness, his understanding of the game, his IQ is on display,” he said. “For someone who can find the open guy and keeps it simple, he’s playing the game the right way.”
Much of that approach, Nembhard said, traces back to his childhood, where he and his brother Andrew — now with the Indiana Pacers — learned from their father, who coached them and instilled the fundamentals they still rely on.
“I just always try to play the game the right way ever since I was a kid,” Nembhard said. “My dad was my coach growing up and he always instilled in us to play the right way and make the right play.”
The jump from college spacing to NBA spacing also accelerated his growth.
“There’s so much more space out there,” Nembhard said. “There’s definitely been an adjustment, and I think it was good for me to kind of ease my way into the season.”
Anthony Davis, one of the stars benefiting from Nembhard’s pick-and-roll timing, sees a rookie absorbing instruction rapidly.
“He’s been great for us,” Davis said. “He’s still learning. He’s a rookie. … He’s making the most of it.”
Nembhard’s exchanges with Davis on the court have already built a simple formula.
“Half the time all I’ve got to do is get to (Davis) in the pocket and he’s going to do the rest,” Nembhard said. “I just got to get the ball to him at the right time.”
He remembers the teams who passed on him but doesn’t dwell on them.
“All of them were kind of saying they like me, but not for them,” he said. “It is what it is.”
What matters more is the team that said yes.
“I’m in the right spot for myself today and this is where I’m happy to be,” Nembhard said. “(The Mavs) always showed love and they wanted me to be a part of their program.”
His rise has been unexpected everywhere except within the locker room, where his steady presence has already earned him trust. And as he continues to emerge as one of Dallas’ most reliable players, Nembhard keeps only one thought in mind: make the next right play, the way he was taught.
“It worked out for the best,” he said. “I’m happy all these guys like to play with me and I’m going to continue to try to make the right play out there on the court.”