Ryan Nembhard Already Passes Like a Rotation Guard. His Shot Has to Catch Up
Denver's two-way guard already moves the ball well enough for a real role, and his scoring efficiency is what decides whether he gets one.
Ryan Nembhard averaged 5.3 assists in 19.5 minutes last season, with an assist rate of 35.3 percent. His 49.2 true shooting percentage is the number he has to raise this season.
What he already does
Nembhard played 60 games last season at 19.5 minutes a night and averaged 5.3 assists against 1.4 turnovers, close to four to one. His usage was 17.3 percent and his assist rate 35.3 percent, so he shot less than most guards and set up a lot of his teammates' baskets. Denver's offense runs on Jokic's passing and on not wasting trips. A second guard who looks to pass first suits that offense better than one who has to score to feel involved.
Where the line breaks
He shot 41.5 percent from the field for 6.6 points, and his true shooting sat at 49.2 percent. His shooting form doesn't look like the problem: he made 35.6 percent of his threes on 2.3 attempts and 80.6 percent at the line. The trouble is volume and everything inside the arc. Defenses can play off a guard who rarely shoots, and that shrinks the passing lanes he lives on. His net rating was minus 1.9, with a 111.2 offensive rating and a 113.1 defensive rating, plus 0.4 steals and 2.2 rebounds. He doesn't take much away on defense yet.
Is there room for him?
Thursday in Oklahoma City he played two minutes, all in garbage time with Alpha Diallo, Bryce Hopkins, DaRon Holmes II and Trevon Brazile. He scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting, made his only three, finished with a layup at the final horn and was plus 5. The starting guards had a harder night: Murray went 2 of 11 with six turnovers in 37 minutes. Nugg Love wrote that Denver's interest in Kevin Porter Jr. points to lingering point guard concerns. Tyus Jones is also on the roster, so minutes behind Murray will have to be earned.
What he has to be
The job open to him is narrow and clear. When Murray sits, the second unit can't stop passing, and Nembhard already does that part. What he hasn't shown is enough scoring to make a defense guard him, which is what would give his passing room to work. On a $2.2 million deal, the verdict is simple: he has to take more threes and keep making them. If he does, his assist rate starts to count in real minutes. If he doesn't, he stays a garbage-time guard.
Is Ryan Nembhard on a two-way contract with the Nuggets?
Yes. He signed a two-way deal with Denver on September 30, and his 2026-27 salary is $2.2 million.
How did Ryan Nembhard play in the Nuggets' season opener?
He played two minutes at the end of the 96-84 loss in Oklahoma City and scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting, including one three. Denver outscored the Thunder by five with him on the floor.
