Andrew Nembhard, the 6’5 guard out of Ontario Canada has been discussed by many draft experts as a popular second-round choice. However, Nembhard possesses a valuable skill set that is much needed for contending teams throughout the ladder half of the draft.
Andrew Nembhard 2022 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Nembhard started his career at Florida as people took notice right when he stepped foot in Gainsville. Nembhard achieved SEC all-freshman honors. He topped that off by improving his 8 ppg and 5 Ast per game his freshman year to 11 PPG and 6 Asts his sophomore year.
With covid striking, Nembhard took advantage of the insanity of the transfer portal and took his talents to Spokane, to become a Gonzaga Bulldog.
Once he started at Gonzaga, his numbers dropped from his sophomore year which is nothing to do with Nembhard’s play. He took the off-ball guard spot as top 5 pick Jalen Suggs operated the lead ball-handling duties. However after Suggs departed to the NBA, it became Nembhard’s backcourt.
Nembhard showcased his skills as he averaged numbers that were eerily similar to his sophomore year at Florida as he averaged 12 PPG and 6 Asts. Nembhard commanded Gonzaga’s pro-style type offense to the number 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. He caught many looks due to his stellar WCC tournament performance as he averaged 18 PPG and 8 Asts in Gonzaga’s WCC championship run.
Strengths
The first thing the eye catches about Nembhard is how swiftly he moves with the ball in his hands. Nembhard is a nightmare in transition as defenders are defenseless when he is cruising right past them. He is not only hell for leather fast but he is also dangerously patient when moving downhill.
This play shows his pure glide to the rim as he out legs potential first-round pick Peyton Watson to the basket as at the same time he slows his body down in order to deceive Watson on the layup of choice Nembhard used. He can seemingly start-up or slow down the game depending on whatever would work for him. He is a true break starter in that sense.
Nembhard also just has such a vicious handle that simply infuriates his opponents. Nembhard uses a multitude of dribble combos that gets defenders off their feet in order to create for himself.
Nembhard possesses the true ability to embarrass his defender which many guards in the NBA pine for. Having a quick dribble move to simply take over any possession is a trait many NBA GM’s are dying to have from their guards.
Talking about Nembhard for this long without talking about his passing ability is unhinged but now we are here. He is quite possibly the best passer in this entire draft class. Out of his 3/4 years in college, he averaged roughly 6 assists per game.
Nembhard is not only a very intelligent passer, but his passes have some serious velocity on them. He can squeeze passes right through defenders allowing for baskets for his fellow players. Nembhard is not sloppy with the ball as he finished this season at Gonzaga with a 2.97 AST/Turnover ratio.
These clips really just show the pure talent he has when passing the ball. These are elite-level passes made by him that he can make on a game-to-game basis. Having that kind of pure control as a guard is something NBA scouts should be clamoring for as it’s rare to see pure playmaking talent like him.
Nembhard is an incredibly intelligent and efficient player. Many guards struggle to control their own game while he seemingly knows what to do and when to do it.
Weaknesses
Although Nembhard is very efficient when playmaking, he has struggled to remain consistent from the field. He has had many games where he is just entirely useless from the field. In their heartbreaking sweet sixteen loss to Arkansas, Nembhard shot 2-11. That type of performance especially in a big game can very much scare scouts away from using a high end pick on Nembhard.
Nembhard is vertically challenged as well. He doesn’t necessarily possess the above the rim athleticism that is very prevalent in the modern NBA. He is able to use his vast amount of dribble moves and pure intelligence with the basketball to sway these issues. However, it’s hard to deny that he isn’t very naturally athletic when stocked up with other guards
Andrew Nembhard NBA Player Comparison
Jalen Brunson lite. The recent success that the Dallas Mavericks have had with Jalen Brunson (a small crafty point guard) shows how small crafty guards have a true spot in the NBA.
Although Nembhard isn’t as good of a scorer as Brunson was coming out of college, Nembhard has the playmaking tools in order to survive in this league.
NBA Draft Projection
Late first round, likely second-round pick.
Nembhard can be very beneficial to a contending team such as the Celtics or Mavericks (who are likely losing Brunson). By getting someone like Nembhard, they are getting a guy who can start up the break and work NBA defenders on day 1. Also, he can help teams compete in the biggest games of the season.
