Mavericks' fan-favorite rookie might already be a painful what-if

The moment the Dallas Mavericks signed Ryan Nembhard to a two-way contract right after last summer's NBA Draft, fans instantly knew he would be a home-run signing. With that in mind, the Mavericks signed Nembhard earlier this season to a standard contract, thus making him a part of the 15-man roster, but he may not be the player fans think he can become.

After an early December stretch where Nembhard was lighting up the scoreboard and helping the Mavericks to a multi-game winning streak, fans were instantly sold at the sight of the 5-foot-11 rookie guard being the team's table setter of the future. While Nembhard has since cooled off, there are several reasons his amazing play earlier this season may have been a facade for his actual value in the NBA.

Ryan Nembhard could become a painful Mavericks what-if

Despite the Mavericks' need for guards even with a healthy Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks signed Nembhard in the wake of waiving Tyus Jones, who had only played eight games with the Mavericks. While Nembhard won't instantly come in and fill Dallas' need for a backup guard, there is hope that he can add value off the bench.

Unfortunately for fans of Nembhard, the reality of his situation is that he is undersized and can't create the offensive attraction Dallas needs when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. To make matters even worse for the rookie point guard, his shooting numbers have completely crashed after an impressive start to the season, and the one thing that Nembhard needed to work on entering the NBA was his shooting consistency.

The Mavericks have already had a host of undersized guards on their roster this season, with Brandon Williams, Nembhard, and Jones for a small period of time, but the small guard era in Dallas may be coming to an end if Nembhard doesn't pan out. With question marks surrounding Williams' contract in the summer, Nembhard may be left to dry in a position where being small and not being able to shoot the ball or play solid defense won't win you any points.

Ryan Nembhard must fix two flaws to keep his Mavericks spot

While it's way easier said than done, Nembhard's path to remaining with the Mavericks and in the NBA is easy to see despite being so undersized for the modern NBA standards. When Nembhard was playing at his best, he was able to use his playmaking abilities to dissect the defense and get easy mid-range buckets, which he would often cash on, and he needs to get back to that form.

In addition to his shooting numbers improving, Nembhard can't be a cone on defense. What made him so fun to watch was how wiry and feisty he was on the defensive end of the ball despite not standing a chance against bigger and stronger offensive players.

Being able to provide solid energy on the defensive end, which could lead to the occasional turnover or steal, would be an instant plus for Nembhard, considering how overlooked he has been throughout his career. Additionally, Nembhard will need to bring more of an offensive punch if he wants to be more than a one-hit wonder while he is on a struggling Dallas roster.