Dallas Mavericks v Los Angeles Lakers
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 28: Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after a three point basket during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on November 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
With this week being NBA Cup knockout round week, the other 22 teams are kind of going under the radar. However, there are still plenty of interesting stories outside of the tantalizing in-season tournament.
One of which is the Dallas Mavericks. After starting the season 5-15, the Mavericks seemed destined to be one of the most disappointing teams of the 2025-26 NBA Season (especially with their former franchise star setting the world on fire).
But over their last five games, the Mavericks have collected four wins – putting them just a half game from the tenth seed in the Western Conference standings.
A lot of this coincides with Anthony Davis' return to the lineup. But no man is an island, and two undrafted guys deserve credit for turning what many thought (myself included) would be a position of weakness into one of strength.
Ryan Nembhard
With Kyrie Irving set to miss most/all of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL, the Mavericks came into this season with a massive hole at point guard. To remedy this, Dallas signed veteran guard D’Angelo Russell. Unfortunately, Russell’s best days seem to be behind him, and as a result, the Mavericks’ offense is in the 19th percentile when he is on the floor (per Cleaning the Glass). Overall, Dallas ranks dead last in offensive rating, behind teams like the Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets, who are intentionally trying to lose games!
Over their last six games, though, the Mavericks are sixth in offensive rating. Of course, this is also the exact time that rookie Ryan Nembhard was inserted into the starting lineup. Since his promotion, the younger Nembhard has taken the league by storm – averaging 14.8 PPG and 6.8 APG on 76.7% true shooting. This stretch has caused him to skyrocket NBA.com’s rookie ladder:
This small sample size by no means suggests that Nembhard is a future star, but he has demonstrated point guard skills that should keep him in the league for quite a long time.
It feels like lazy analysis to say this, but Ryan has inherited much of the pace and footwork that makes his older brother (Andrew Nembhard) so effective as a creator and driver (this seems to be a common theme among Gonzaga alumni). Check out some of these clips from his recent 28-point eruption against the Denver Nuggets and tell me you don’t see the resemblance.
He is also a Tyus Jones-level turnover suppressor. During this six game stint, Nembhard has tallied 41 assists and just eight turnovers. This pristine assist-to-turnover ratio illustrates his knack for reading the floor and making smart decisions. On the season, his assist:usage rate (1.65) is among the best in the association (90th percentile).
This piece originally started as a way to highlight Nembhard’s recent run of strong play, but you can’t watch this Mavericks team without also noticing Brandon Williams.
Williams’ raw stats don’t amaze you in the same way that Nembhard’s do (48.4% true shooting, 7th percentile), but the dude just pops on film. He’s lightning quick, able to get by defenders without the assistance of a screener. This allows him to get downhill whenever he pleases (93rd percentile in rim attempts per 75 possessions). Williams hasn’t been efficient from this region of the court (52.9%, 7th percentile), but part of that can be excused by all the Mavericks’ injuries leading to deeply clogged driving lanes. We see this when you look at his rim percentage with and without Davis on the floor. With Davis on the floor, Williams is hitting a respectable 62.5% of his shots at the rim. And without him, that number is just 52.4% (per PBP Stats).
Besides, history tells us that being an inefficient finisher who gets into the paint frequently is better than being an efficient scorer who hardly ventures into that sacred territory. Even with Williams’ individual struggles, the Mavericks’ offense is so much better when he is on the floor (his offensive on/off is a +7.8 per 100, 88th percentile). With Williams on the court, this miserable offense becomes borderline average (41st percentile).
Williams isn’t known as a lockdown defender, but it is worth mentioning his aptitude for generating turnovers. Not only does he have fast feet, but he also has quick hands (94th percentile in steal rate), which gives a much-needed boost to a team that struggles with defensive playmaking (25th percentile in opponent turnover rate).
Again, I currently don’t see either Nembhard or Williams as high-end starting caliber point guards because of glaring limitations in their games (namely, size and outside shooting). But both of them are clear NBA-caliber rotation pieces, which is a huge win when you consider that Dallas spent literally zero draft capital to acquire them. And who knows, maybe their development is enough to help propel the Mavericks to the playoffs this season.