Mavericks' shocking Summer League benching reveals who they're really all-in on

Coming into the NBA Summer League, Dallas Mavericks point guard Ryan Nembhard had all the hype in the world, as fans expected him to put on a show after hearing how well he fit next to Cooper Flagg in the week of practice leading up to the draft. Mavericks fans fell in love with his game after Dallas signed him following the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, and it couldn't be more obvious that Nembhard should have been at least a second-round pick.

After over a week of Summer League action, it's clear that Nembhard was even better than what the Mavs expected, and him getting shut down after just three games proved that.

Nembhard not being available for Dallas' fourth game against the Philadelphia 76ers was initially shocking, but it was clear that he had nothing else to prove, as he had some outstanding games in Las Vegas, and he also sat out Friday's finale against the Orlando Magic.

Mavericks sent a loud message about Nembhard by shutting him down

He was outstanding in Dallas' first Summer League game against the Los Angeles Lakers, as he hit the game-winning 3-pointer off a pass from Flagg and finished with 21 points and five assists on 8-14 shooting. Nembhard took the league by storm in this game, as everyone was watching this game, and even though Flagg had a solid debut, it was Nembhard who proved the most.

Nembhard quickly showed that he was one of the steals of the offseason with his command of the game, knockdown 3-point shooting, and elite passing, and it makes complete sense that the Mavericks didn't play him in either of the team's final two games. It gave other guys the chance to show off their game to the coaching staff, while Nembhard could rest, as he showed Josh Broghamer and company everything that they needed to see over three games of action as the Mavs' starting point guard.

"You guys saw it, Ryan didn't have to prove anything else," Broghamer said. "I think everyone knows we got a steal in him, and he can play on the ball, off the ball, he's gonna be a hard-nosed defender, as much as anything, and so, we didn't need to see anything else from him because we know what we got with him and we're very excited about him going forward."

After just a few games, Ryan has already been compared to his brother Andrew, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, and Mavericks fans would be ecstatic if Ryan can make a similar impact in Dallas tto what Andrew has done in Indiana. Andrew became a staple for the Pacers with his lockdown defense, versatility, and big-time shot-making, and while Ryan doesn't have the same size as his brother, he is going t be just fine as he is always one of the most skilled players on the floor.

Ryan plays as hard as anyone, and his perimeter defense combined with his poise when handling the rock makes him an intriguing two-way player that Nico Harrison will love. Harrison is all about signing players who play both ends of the floor, and Ryan will do all of that and more. He doesn't let players take advantage of him despite often being the smallest player on the floor at 6 feet, and he has all of the intangibles to be a piece within Jason Kidd's rotation at some point next season.

It may be a bit of an uphill battle for Nembhard to earn minutes at first, as he will have to beat out D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Jaden Hardy, but with how Broghamer has raved about his versatility and ability to play on or off the ball, it seems like Dallas believes tthat he can play in multiple different situations and within different lineups.

The Mavericks are clearly excited about what they have with Nembhard, as it is uncommon to see an undrafted player get shut down after just three games of Summer League action, and Mavericks fans should be filled with excitement regarding the new rookie duo of Ryan Nembhard and Cooper Flagg.