Ryan Nembhard’s first-half numbers at the NBA Draft Combine prompted an observation from an ESPN analyst who’s become uniquely familiar with the record-setting point guard over the last two years at Gonzaga.
As Wednesday’s Combine scrimmage went to a commercial break late in the second quarter, Sean Farnham, a longtime ESPN commentator who often handles Gonzaga’s national TV broadcasts in the West Coast Conference, made note of the point guard’s smooth distribution and passing acumen.
“By the way, this looks like a lot like Gonzaga basketball game right now,” Farnham said. “Nembhard’s got five assists already here in the first half, a guy that averaged almost 10 assists per game last season for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.”
Nembhard, who earned a back-door invite to the Draft Combine through his standout performance at the G League Elite Camp, didn’t waste much time getting himself and teammates involved Wednesday in a scrimmage between the point guard’s “Team Williams” and “Team Mueller” at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
The record-setting Gonzaga guard had his first assist inside the first 10 seconds and set up Sion James minutes later, firing a pass to the right corner where the Duke guard knocked down an uncontested 3-pointer.
By and large, Nembhard was mistake-free on the offensive end while logging 25 minutes in an 83-80 loss, scoring 13 points to go along with a scrimmage-high eight assists, three steals and just one turnover.
Former Washington State and Eastern Washington wing Cedric Coward, who recently committed to Duke, is also in attendance at the combine, but isn’t taking part in the live scrimmage portion as he recovers from the shoulder injury that limited him to six games with the Cougars last season.
Nembhard’s passing clinic began early and led to a handful of easy opportunities for Stanford center Maxime Raynaud, who led all players in the scrimmage with 18 points on 7 of 12 shooting.
The Gonzaga point guard knocked down a short mid-range floater inside the paint – a shot he took and made at a high clip last season with the Zags – and was assertive driving to the baskets, matching Florida State’s Jamir Watkins for the scrimmage lead in free throw attempts (6).
“His feel is great,” Farnham said. “… The size obviously going to be impactful as far as where he goes, but I think his vision and his ability to open up the game for others is going to be appealing for somebody to take a chance on, probably in the free agent market and say hey let’s come in and see what you can do in the Summer League with a bunch of guys that can be in the G-League. Then if we need somebody, play your way up on a two-way.”
Added ESPN’s Cory Alexander: “I believe that’s true, he’s going to get an opportunity and one reason he’s going to get an opportunity is because his brother paved the way. When you show what you can do and you consider the fact his brother is an elite defender and the same type of playmaker, he’s going to get an opportunity because of that.”
Nembhard’s name hasn’t shown up on many mock drafts, but The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently projected him as the No. 57th overall pick, going late in the second round to the Orlando Magic. Nembhard’s playmaking ability has drawn comparisons to that of older brother, who recently helped lead the Indiana Pacers to a berth in the Eastern Conference Finals, but draft experts have raised questions about the guard’s size and defensive prowess.
“He looks 5-10 to me,” ESPN’s Seth Greenberg said during Wednesday’s scrimmage.
Nembhard’s ball-handling and distribution have been well-documented since his early years at Creighton, but the guard also posted strong shooting percentages on Tuesday while going through a circuit of spot-up and off-the-dribble drills.
Of the 67 players who took part in shooting drills, Nembhard tied with Missouri’s Tamar Bates for the top score in the “3-point shooting star” – a distance shooting exercise where players take shots from a handful of spots on the court.
Both players made 19 of 25 (76%) shots during the drill and Nembhard supplemented that score with an impressive clip in the “3-point side,” making 15 of 21 (71%). The former Zag tied for fourth while making 24 of 30 (80%) shots in the “off dribble” drill and went 15 of 25 (65%) to finish tied for 30th in the “spot up” portion. Nembhard made 8 of 10 (80%) free throws to finish tied for 40th among Combine participants.
Coward garnered buzz and attention over the last two days despite not participating in Wednesday’s scrimmages, potentially improving his chances of earning a first-round guarantee from NBA teams.
The former Division III star at Willamette University who spent the last four seasons in the Inland Northwest at EWU and WSU excelled in shooting drills, making 23 of 30 (76%) shots off the dribble, 18 of 25 (72%) on spot-up shots, 17 of 25 (68%) in the 3-point star, 14 of 23 (60%) on 3-point side shots and 9 of 10 (90%) from the free throw line.
“It’s a blessing at the end of the day and it shows the belief and faith I had in myself,” Coward said during an interview with ESPN’s broadcast team midway through Wednesday’s scrimmages. “My journey has been a unique one, it’s not the quickest one. … Nothing can stand in my way.”
Coward recorded a 7-foot-2 wingspan on Monday and impressed NBA scouts and front office personnel with his 38½-inch vertical jump. Coward has until 2 p.m. PT on June 15 to decide whether he’s returning to school to play at Duke or stay in the NBA Draft.
“I can tell you the one thing is I’m a winner,” Coward said when asked to characterize his game. “Whatever term you want to use, jack of all trades, Swiss Army knife, all around. I’m a very well-rounded player. I’m going to strive to be one of the greatest players in league history.”
Former Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis, who became a two-time All-ACC selection after transferring to Wake Forest, had the only double-double during Wednesday’s early scrimmage, scoring 14 points to go with 10 rebounds.