How former Gonzaga stars are performing six weeks into the NBA season

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have had ten former players appear in an NBA game this season, a testament to the consistent excellence of Mark Few when it comes to acquiring, and developing, talent in Spokane.

The latest to arrive was Drew Timme, who appeared in a game with the Lakers in late November, shortly after signing a two-way contract with the franchise.

The big headline for former Zags is about the team's lone rookie in the league - Ryan Nembhard - who has been nothing short of spectacular for the Dallas Mavericks since entering the starting lineup.

The 6'0 guard has 23 assists and just one turnover in his last two games, which included a monster 28 point, 10 assist, 0 turnover performance against Denver that set multiple NBA records.

Both Nembhards have exceeded expectations this season, while other Zag greats like Rui Hachimura and Jalen Suggs are performing at very high levels as well.

Two more Zags have yet to see the floor this season in Zach Collins and Brandon Clarke. Clarke (knee) is still a few weeks away from being reevaluated, and might be out for a while which really hurts this struggling Memphis club. Meanwhile Collins is dealing with a wrist injury and is inching closer to returning for the Bulls.

Here is a look at how all ten Zags in the NBA have done so far this season:

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 19 games, 14 points, 3.6 rebounds, 46.1% from three in 33.1 MPG

Rui has remained an integral piece for the Lakers this season, despite the return of LeBron James and Luka Doncic from injuries. The 6'8 forward is an absolute sniper from distance, connecting on over 46% of his three point attempts while posting career-highs in points and minutes per game.

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Stats: 18 games, 18.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 blocks in 29.6 MPG

Holmgren is a major part of OKC's blistering 21-1 start to the season. The 7'0 big man is averaging a career-high 18.4 points and 8.0 rebounds, while his effective field goal rate of 62% is top 20 in the country. The Thunder are able to rest Chet on back-to-backs without losing a beat, and if they can keep him healthy and fresh into the playoffs they will have a great chance of repeating as champions.

Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards

Stats: 17 games, 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 40.3% from 3 in 19.9 MPG

Kispert suffered a fractured thumb on Thanksgiving which is expected to keep him on the shelf for multiple weeks. Prior to the injury the 6'7 wing was shooting over 40% from three and nearly 70% on two pointers despite a reduced role on a team out of contention.

Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers

Stats: 14 games, 17.4 points, 6.2 assists, 2.0 rebounds, 36.1% from 3 in 30.8 MPG

Nembhard has been on a heater as of late, scoring 12 or more points with six or more assists in four of his last five games, including a 21 point, six assist performance against Cleveland to open December.

The 6'5 guard has taken on a primary role for the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton's injury, and is far outpacing his previous career highs across the board in what could be an All-Star campaign for the former second round pick.

Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks

Stats: 10 games, 8.6 points, 4.6 assists, 1.5 rebounds, 50% from 3 in 17.5 MPG

Just like his brother Andrew, Ryan is quickly proving his doubters wrong with a fantastic start to his NBA career. Despite going undrafted, Ryan has entered Dallas' starting lineup and immediately made a massive impact, posting a 28 point, 10 assist, 0 turnover game in a road win over Denver on Dec. 1.

It is the first game in recorded history where an undrafted rookie had 25+ points, 10+ assists, and 0 turnovers. The last time a rookie had those numbers at all was in 1996 when future All-Star Stephon Marbury did it - and the last time a rookie had 25 and 10 assists was in 2022....by Ryan's brother Andrew.

Nembhard followed that up with 15 points, 13 assists, and one turnover against Miami on Wednesday, racking up 23 assists and one turnover in his last two games - another record for an undrafted rookie.

At this point, folks continuing to doubt the Nembhard's are doing so purely out of spite, as they have both proven more than capable starting caliber guards in the NBA.

Kelly Olynyk, San Antonio Spurs

Stats: 11 games, 4.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 31.3% from 3 in 11.2 MPG

Olynyk has settled into a small role backing up Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio, playing 10-15 minutes per night and providing floor spacing, rebounding, and a quality veteran presence for a young Spurs club.

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Stats: 11 games, 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals in 33.2 MPG

Sabonis has not played since our last update, as he is still recovering from a knee injury that could keep him out for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.

Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets

Stats: 9 games, 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 64.3% on twos in 7.9 MPG

Like Sabonis, Strawther has not played since our last update either as he recovers from a back injury suffered in mid-November.

Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic

Stats: 17 games, 14.1 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 2.0 steals in 24.6 MPG

Suggs has been his typical menacing self defensively, now averaging a career-high two steals per game, but he's also shown developing scoring and facilitation skills. He is coming off a 24 point, four assist, three steal game against the Spurs, and had 26 points against the Knicks back in November.

Drew Timme, Los Angeles Lakers

Stats: 1 game, 2 points, 1 steal, 1-2 in one minute

Timme signed a two-way deal with the Los Angeles Lakers and made his 2025-26 debut on Nov. 25, nabbing a steal and scoring a bucket in just over one minute of action. He has done plenty of damage in the G-League alongside former Gonzaga teammate Anton Watson, and should get plenty more opportunities at the NBA level as the year goes on. Hopefully the same will be true of Anton.