The Dallas Mavericks' lack of sufficient shot creation has led them to a league-worst offensive rating (105.0), and while head coach Jason Kidd has made nearly every rotational adjustment in the book to try and fix this, he still has another wrinkle he can explore by playing two-way contract signee Ryan Nembhard over D'Angelo Russell.
This can't be an immediate fix, unfortunately, as Nembhard was recently announced to be out for a few weeks due to a left knee sprain, but when he is able to return to Dallas' lineup, Kidd should give him an opportunity in the rotation over Russell.
In Dallas' last game versus the New York Knicks, Russell had one of his best shooting performances of the season, but far too often this season have those performances been blanketed by Russell's inefficiency, questionable decision-making, and lackluster perimeter defense. It was also recently announced that Dante Exum will undergo season-ending knee surgery, so Kidd truly has nothing to lose when it comes to seeing what Nembhard can provide at the guard spot.
Kidd should push Nembhard ahead of Russell in Mavericks' rotation
While Nembhard saw brief action in Dallas' rotation in the first few games of the season, he went off in one game played for the Texas Legends during the G League's Tip-Off Tournament. In that game versus the Memphis Hustle on Veteran's Day, Nembhard scored 26 points off 9-17 shooting from the field, dished out 10 assists, and finessed three steals.
Nembhard is a pure floor general, but he's still a solid shooter, especially in the mid-range. Nembhard's shot may not be so polished that he's ready for a starting-level role quite yet, but with Russell playing as abysmally as he has on average, there's certainly a case to be made that Nembhard could provide steadier guard play off the bench, especially since Nembhard has far more long-term potential.
Even though Nembhard is listed at 6-foot, he competes tirelessly on defense, and his speed and quickness may give him the edge on Russell as a point-of-attack defender as well. With only two true point guards in the rotation at the moment, Dallas hasn't really had any games where both Russell and Williams are having solid contests at the same time, but the Mavericks will have a better crack at this with Nembhard backing up Williams instead of Russell.
This has been part of the reason Dallas has suffered so much in late-game scenarios, as Russell's ill-advised shots and turnovers have hurt the Mavericks in the clutch for the most part, especially with Williams going through a little shooting slump recently as well. Of course, Kidd inserting Nembhard into the rotation won't just patch all of Dallas' offensive issues that have led them to a league-worst offense, but it might help the Mavericks finagle a few more wins.