Mavericks' season-wrecking problem is being fixed by the last player you'd expect

Ryan Nembhard has been the perfect fix to the Dallas Mavericks' point guard problem, and he seems to have locked up the team's starting spot after just six games in that role. Dallas has won four of the six games that he has started in, and they look like a completely different team with him running the show.

In six starts, Nembhard is averaging 14.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game while shooting 63.8 percent from the field and 68.2 percent from downtown, proving that he is ready for whatever the Mavericks throw at him. He has turned the Mavericks' starting point guard spot into one of their major strengths as of late, but it wasn't always like this.

Jason Kidd began the season with Cooper Flagg as the team's starting point guard, but that quickly proved to be a bad idea. Dallas wasn't generating enough good shots to win games, and he eventually elected to try out D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams in this role.

Ryan Nembhard's rise changes everything for Dallas

Both players have had some good games along the road, but neither of them commands the offense like Nembhard can. His calm presence and feel for the game have helped transform the Mavericks' offense, and they are looking like a play-in team if they can keep playing like this.

Nembhard has become a fan-favorite player in Dallas in a short amount of time, and no one could've dreamed that he was going to come into the scene like this. Mavericks fans had faith that Nembhard could carve out a role in his first season with the team, but with him being on a two-way contract, him becoming a starter by the end of the year seemed like a long shot.

Through 25 games, Nembhard has proven that he has the potential to be a staple of the Mavericks' future, and him being this good in Dallas isn't by accident. The Mavericks had high belief in Nembhard's game, dating back to the NBA Draft Combine in May, and they believed that landing both Flagg and Nembhard in the draft would set them up nicely.

They were able to pull this off, and both players are looking like future long-term starters in Dallas. They have transformed their ceiling on both ends of the floor, and they are turning into a balanced squad rather than a one-trick pony as they were early in the season.

Dallas' defense has been strong for most of the year, as it is the No. 7-ranked defense in the NBA by defensive rating, and its offense has followed suit as of late. Since November 28, the first game that Nembhard started in, the Mavericks have the No. 8 offense in the NBA.

This is no coincidence, and the Mavericks finding some stability at point guard has been key in them turning their season around. Things were looking extremely dark at one point, as the Mavericks began the year 5-15, but a recent good stretch of basketball has slowly turned the tide of the season.

This isn't to say that Dallas is going to morph into an NBA Finals contender, but Nembhard's steady hand and elite passing have helped them at least look like a team that could make the Play-In Tournament. At this point, their ceiling seeding-wise seems like a berth in the play-in, and anything better than that will be a cherry on top.

The Western Conference is no joke, and the Mavs finding a way to sneak into the play-in will help give this squad some valuable postseason experience. They have the chance to escape the Play-In Tournament and secure a spot in the playoffs, especially since Kyrie Irving is set to return at some point, and this wouldn't be the case if they hadn't figured out their issues at point guard.

Nembhard has filled a hole that was ripping wider and wider as the season progressed, and his impact on the floor can't be undermined. Without him, Dallas would likely still be one of the bottom feeders in the West.

But now, they've found hope.