Ryan Nembhard is on an eerily similar path to the NBA as his older brother, Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers. Both spent their first two collegiate seasons elsewhere before finishing at Gonzaga. Despite being wildly successful and productive in school, neither of them was a particularly highly touted prospect.
For as much as the Nembhard siblings have in common, there are also stark differences. But do these contrasts favor Andrew or Ryan? Can the latter supplant his built-in best friend as the superior player upon entering the Association for the ultimate bragging rights at family outings?
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How has Andrew Nembhard carved out his role in the NBA?
Andrew came into the league as a polished two-way combo guard with good size and feel for the game and harnessed those skills. He can play on or off the ball and is an excellent, tenacious point-of-attack defender. The Pacers standout gets up in your grill with the energy to harass you 94 feet up the floor.
After sharing a backcourt with the Orlando Magic's Jalen Suggs, Andrew has co-existed harmoniously with Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton. It speaks to his malleability and positive impact on winning in various ways. He doesn't need to be the primary playmaker, but is a heady hooper who can shoulder the load if called upon.
Three-point shooting comes and goes for Andrew, but he's developed into a lethal mid-range weapon, courtesy of a nasty crossover and step-back combination. Nonetheless, his long-distance jumper goes when it matters most, blossoming into a proven playoff riser. Without him, the Pacers don't make one of the more improbable Final runs we've seen in 2024-25.
How can Ryan Nembhard carve out a role in the NBA?
Unfortunately, Ryan wasn't blessed with the full array of Nembhard genetics. Standing at six feet tall in shoes and weighing 180 pounds, he's four inches shorter and 16 pounds lighter than Andrew measured during his evaluation process.
Yet, like Andrew, Ryan has a tremendous understanding of how to play the game correctly. His basketball IQ, creativity and willingness to leverage those traits to put others in positions to score have helped him overcome height concerns thus far. He led the national in assists per game last season (9.8), routinely demonstrating spectacular court vision.
Again, similarly to Andrew, Ryan can be a pest on the defensive end; his 1.7 nightly steals as a senior paced the West Coast Conference (WCC). However, it'll be fascinating to see if he can continue to swipe the ball from bigger, stronger athletes despite physical limitations.
Final verdict: Can Ryan Nembhard be a better NBA player than his brother, Andrew?
It's unlikely, considering how 6-foot-under players typically translate to the pros. History is not in Ryan's favor. Meanwhile, Andrew was an indispensable asset to a team that was one victory away from claiming a championship.
Now, just because Ryan doesn't figure to stack up to Andrew doesn't mean he can't become a contributor to an NBA franchise. Anyone in need of a steady floor general with upside to improve as a shooter should value the younger Nembhard. Defensive concerns will be a talking point, but you can surround him with teammates who can cover up for his shortcomings.
Ryan projects to be selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 53 overall selection in Christopher Kline of FanSided's final mock draft.