Dallas Mavericks rookie turning heads besides Cooper Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks took Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft last summer, but he's not the only rookie contributing to the team this season.

Undrafted point guard Ryan Nembhard is making a name for himself and adding some intrigue to the Mavericks season.

"The Dallas Mavericks became a functional basketball team on Nov. 28, the first night Ryan Nembhard started at point guard. The undrafted free agent injected playmaking and offensive organization to an operation that lacked both in the early going," Bleacher Report contributor Grant Hughes wrote.

"Though the damage done to its offensive rating over the first month or so of the season means Dallas remains a bottom-three attack, it ranks right in the middle of the pack since Nembhard entered the starting five.

"The trickle-down effects of playing an actual point guard include a dramatically improved performance by top pick Cooper Flagg, who leads the Mavs in scoring since that fateful Nov. 28 date. Naji Marshall has worked well as a secondary creator, and Max Christie hit over half of his threes in December.

"These improvements figure to persist as long as Nembhard is healthy and avoids the rookie wall."

Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey passes the ball by Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Nembhard making moves for Mavericks

In his rookie season, Nembhard is averaging 7.7 points and 5.1 assists per game for the Mavs, proving that he can hold his own in the NBA. He isn't expected to be the long-term answer at point guard because Kyrie Irving should be coming back at some point in the spring, but he is proving that there can be a future beyond the All-Star guard if the team decides to move on from him.

Nembhard is still young, so there's still a lot of time for things to go either way. His early returns have proven that he is someone the Mavs should invest in long-term.

The Mavericks are back in action on Tuesday when they travel to Northern California to face off against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:00 p.m. CT inside the Golden 1 Center. Fans can watch the game on NBC or stream it on Peacock.

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