A lot of Denver Nuggets fans have been waiting to see Ryan Nembhard make an appearance as Jamal Murray's backup rather than Tyus Jones. We're all still yet to see it outside of garbage time. But the Nuggets are getting Nembhard some game reps in the G League, and he looked really good.
Since Nembhard is on a two-way contract, the Nuggets can have him split time between their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Gold, and the Nuggets. The developmental league is exactly the place for Nembhard to stay fresh, and fresh he was in his debut for the Gold.
Nembhard scored 20 points on 9-for-19 shooting, grabbed 6 rebounds, and had an impressive 14 assists. He added two steals, and he was 1-for-5 from three. He did, however, have 7 turnovers, which isn't great, but that's why he's playing with the Gold, working out the wrinkles.
Nembhard needs a legitimate chance with the Nuggets bench
The Nuggets' bench has been inconsistent, to say the least. Sometimes they look amazing, like they did in Mexico City against the Indiana Pacers. Sometimes, they just survive and don't look so hot. But they never really score enough. The bench is currently just 24th in the league at 30.3 points per game. Part of the reason is that Jones doesn't do enough with his court time. He's a decent playmaker, but it ends there.
Nembhard, on the other hand, had some incredible games last season with the Dallas Mavericks, including one with 23 assists in the final game of the year. Nembhard was the leading rookie in assists last year, with 5.3 per game.
Nembhard excels at the pick-and-roll and can run it with Nikola Jokic, and he's more of a mid-range scoring threat than Jones. Nembhard's quickness and dribble penetration kick-outs could open up more scoring chances when he's on the floor with Cameron Johnson.
It's not like the Nuggets can do much worse. Jones is a staggering -14.4 net differential on the court, and the Nuggets are 20.3 points per 100 possessions better without Jones on the floor.
Cam Whitmore also played with the Gold
Cam Whitmore also made his debut with the Gold. He also had a good game, scoring 20 points on 5-for-10 shooting from three. Whitmore is much further down the depth chart, and he really needs playing time, so it's good to see him getting reps in game conditions.
Sending them both down to the G League for reps and game action for development is exactly what the two-way contract is for. But the Nuggets have to try out Nembhard at some point. The frustration from fans over Jones is growing louder by the day.
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