ESPN NBA mock draft has perfect fit for Gonzaga's Ryan Nembhard

For Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, his ability to connect with new teammates will surely play a pivotal role throughout his professional career. He's already shown he can adapt to new situations while leading an offense from the point guard position, as evidenced by his 14 assists in just two NBA Draft Combine scrimmages from Chicago last month.

Though draft analysts will continue to dwell on Nembhard's 5-foot-11 stature, his success at the next level will greatly depend on whether his feel for the game is utilized to the max. Teams that rely heavily on pick-and-rolls and sharing the ball will likely be the first in line to take Nembhard with one of the 59 picks in this month's upcoming draft, or he'll be signed as an undrafted free agent shortly after the two-day draft concludes.

ESPN's draft gurus share a similar line of thinking, as Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo project Nembhard will land with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the No. 58 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

While the Cavs already possess an abundance of guards, there's always room for another on Kenny Atkinson's team. Atkinson is any pick-and-roll specialist's dream to have as a head coach. He's worked with several talented point guards over the years, from Jeff Teague, D'Angelo Russell and Jeremy Lin, to more recently Stephen Curry and Darius Garland.

The Cavs ranked No. 1 in the NBA during the regular season in pick-and-roll usage, with about 22% of their total plays stemming from that action. Cleveland's pick-and-roll handlers were also No. 1 in the league in points per game off screen-and-roll plays (24.8 ppg) as well as effective field goal percentage (52.9%). The Cavs finished with the fourth-fewest turnovers off pick-and-rolls, too, further illustrating how potent Atkinson's offense can be when it's run smoothly.

Of course, winning 64 games in the regular season and claiming the top-ranked seed in the Eastern Conference playoff picture is proof enough as well.

The Cavs have some decisions to make this offseason regarding Garland's future with the team, as trade rumors surrounding the 6-foot-1 guard continue to stir, and they have Donovan Mitchell to headline their backcourt group for 2025-26. Nembhard's playing time would likely be limited, though there aren't many coaches better suited to mentor a rookie point guard than Atkinson, a former floor general himself who played nearly 10 years professionally overseas.

Nembhard's coming off leading the NCAA in assists as a senior with the Zags this past season, putting up 9.8 per game while breaking Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference's respective single-season records for total assists. His 344 assists in 2024-25 led the country and were the fifth-most in a single season in NCAA history.

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