ESPN praises Gonzaga PG during NBA Draft Combine: 'He's going to get an opportunity'

Nembhard guided his squad to an early double-digit lead while orchestrating the flow of the offense through his decision-making and passing ability. He formed a dynamic connection with former Stanford standout Maxime Raynaud early on, fueling Team Williams to a 15-1 advantage out of the gate. The 7-foot-1 forward capitalized off a Nembhard pass in transition for a score down low, then hit a 3-pointer moments later after his point guard found him on the wing.

Nembhard dished out five assists in the first half while chipping in four points, prompting ESPN commentator Sean Farnham to compare the ebbs and flows of the scrimmage to that of a Zags' game.

"By the way, this looks a lot like a Gonzaga basketball game right now," Farnham said during Wednesday's scrimmage. "Nembhard's got five assists already in the first half."

Nembhard's name became more frequent on draft boards and mock-ups following his standout performances at the G League Elite Camp last weekend. Since getting called up to the NBA draft combine, he's continued to impress pro scouts and other NBA personnel with his shooting and playmaking.

Earlier this week, Nembhard posted the best score in the 3-point star drill, going 19-for-25 (76%). He went 24-for-30 (80%) on 3-point attempts off the dribble — tied for the second-best mark among the 68 participants — and went 15-for-21 on 3-point attempts from the side.

"He's going to get an opportunity," ESPN NBA analyst Corey Alexander said of Nembhard during Wednesday's broadcast of the scrimmage. "And one reason he's going to get an opportunity is because his brother paved the way. When you show what you can do and you consider the fact that his brother is an elite defender and the same type of playmaker — he's going to get an opportunity because of that."

Ryan's older brother, Andrew, boosted his stock significantly in the lead-up to being picked No. 31 overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA Draft. Both were excellent floor generals in their own right while playing for Mark Few. However, Andrew's path was much different, being a 6-foot-5 guard, in comparison to his younger brother, who was listed at 6-foot, 180 pounds during his Gonzaga days.

"The size is obviously going to be impactful as far as where he goes," Farnham said of Nembhard. "But I think his vision and his ability to open up the game for others is going to be appealing for somebody to take a chance on — probably the free agent market and say, 'Hey, let's come in and see what you can do in the summer league with a bunch of guys that could be in the G league.'"

With another impressive showing from Nembhard at the combine this week, draft analysts and pundits would have very little reason to leave him off their respective mock drafts. For now, a few media outlets and personnel project Nembhard as a late second-round pick.

The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor projected Nembhard to go to the Los Angeles Clippers with the No. 22 pick in the second round (No. 51 overall) of his latest two-round mock draft. In a mock from The Athletic, the Magic selected Nembhard with the No. 57 overall pick.

Nembhard finished his first combine scrimmage with an unofficial 13 points and eight assists. ESPN's coverage of the combine continues Thursday.

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