Mavericks rookie's crucial mechanical tweak is his only shot at survival

Heading into the Las Vegas NBA Summer League tomorrow, all eyes will be on Cooper Flagg, as he and the Dallas Mavericks are set to battle the Los Angeles Lakers in a marquee matchup against Bronny James. While all of the excitement surrounding Flagg is warranted, fellow Mavericks rookie Ryan Nembhard is simultaneously flying below the radar, and he is prime position to carve out a real role for himself next season if his development consistently trends in the right direction.

One area that Nembhard has significantly improved in over the last year or so is his jump shooting, as he went from shooting 32.1 percent from three as a junior at Gonzaga to 40.4 percent as a senior, and his progress as a shooter is going to need to persist heading into his rookie year with Dallas.

Nembhard attributed the massive jump in 3-point percentage while at Gonzaga to some mechanical tweaks in his jumper as well as taking better shots within the flow of the offense when he was asked about it on Tuesday, and this mechanical tweak alone is what could help cement him as a core piece of the Mavs' rotation next season.

Mavericks need Ryan Nembhard to be deadly from downtown

Nembhard still has a long way to go when it comes to getting real minutes for Dallas, as they already have several point guards ahead of him including D'Angelo Russell, Dante Exum, and Brandon Williams, but if he can take care of the basketball, knock down threes at a high clip, and play solid defense, he may be someone who climbs Jason Kidd's depth chart quickly. Kidd is all about energy and effort from his guys, and those two areas will never be a problem with Nembhard.

Since Nembhard is only 6-foot-even, his 3-point shooting may end up being what makes or breaks his first season in Dallas, and he is going to have the chance to back up the hype beginning tomorrow at Summer League.

Fellow two-way signing Miles Kelly called Nembhard's 3-point shooting "tremendous" after practice on Wednesday, and even he noted how it's important for point guards in today's NBA to be able to drill open threes. This is going to be even more true for Nembhard, and his early dynamic with Flagg could help him get some open looks as soon as tomorrow.

Mavs Summer League head coach Josh Broghamer noted that Nembhard's strong 3-point shooting helps him play on or off the ball, and with Flagg set to handle the ball often, Nembhard can still be effective as a spot-up shooter. Broghamer then dove into how this can help Nembhard as a second-side playmaker, and he said that Nembhard being on that second side makes Dallas "a better basketball team."

Assuming Nembhard remains on a two-way contract with the Mavs after Summer League and heading into the regular season, they are going to need all of the shooting that they can get out of him, as this is an area that they struggled in at the end of last season. With Kidd being set on continuing to run double-big lineups, the guards around Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford need to knock down threes at a high clip, and Nembhard is setting himself up to do just that if he can keep the positive momentum from Gonzaga rolling.

While at Gonzaga, Nembhard showcased his ability to hit threes off the dribble and the catch, and even though he is known for being a floor general, his shooting is what could end up being extremely important for his upcoming Mavericks journey. The Mavs need more shooting almost as bad as they need more playmaking, and Nembhard's evolution as a shooter could end up being one of the biggest storylines surrounding the undrafted rookie.