Mavericks' new cult hero just crushed the biggest doubt that followed him to Dallas

Dallas Mavericks rookie guard Ryan Nembhard has silenced any concerns that he would struggle as a 3-point shooter 11 games into his NBA career, and the future is looking bright for the 5-foot-11 guard. He has taken the league by storm over the last week, and Mavericks fans are witnessing greatness with Nembhard and Cooper Flagg proving that they can be leaders of this team for years to come.

Heading into his rookie season, fans worried that Nembhard couldn't keep up the hot shooting that he displayed during his senior season at Gonzaga. He shot 40.4 percent from three in his final season as a Bulldog, which is excellent, but it was only on 2.7 attempts per game. This was a career-low volume of threes attempted per game for Nembhard, but it was a career-high percentage.

Everyone knew that his passing was going to be elite, regardless of the level that he plays at, as he put up the fifth-most assists in a season in NCAA history last season. The same couldn't be said when it comes to his shooting. There wasn't a guarantee that he could keep it up.

Ryan Nembhard's shooting has already become a staple of his game

Fans wondered if his steady 3-point shooting as a senior was a flash in the pan or if he would regress to the 33.2 percent 3-point shooting that he shot over his first three years in college. He needed to be able to knock down open threes to stick in the NBA, and so far, he has looked like a flamethrower.

After last night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which he shot 2-3 from downtown, Nembhard is shooting 51.9 percent from three on the season on 2.5 attempts per game. He is already looking like the Mavericks' best 3-point shooting point guard despite being in the NBA for less than two months, and he has locked up a starting spot in Jason Kidd's starting five.

This was not an expectation from fans heading into the season, as D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Williams were expected to be key leaders of the offseason, but Nembhard has already surpassed them both in the blink of an eye.

His ability to lead the offense, take over the game with his playmaking, and score with efficiency and elegance have been clear strengths every time that he takes the floor, and fans have to be thrilled with the way that he is shooting the ball from long distance.

Even with his volume rising over the last year, his 3-point percentage is ascending as well. Undersized guards have to be able to drill open shots, and Nembhard is doing everything right at this point in his NBA career.

Whether he is taking advantage of a defender going under a screen with a pull-up jumper or pulling a catch-and-shoot three from multiple feet beyond the arc, Nembhard has passed the eye test and numbers test of being a good shooter in the NBA. His confidence is already through the roof, and that's half the battle in today's NBA.

Repetition is obviously important as well, and Nembhard remains one of the hardest workers on the team. He's known as a gym rat, and he has all of the tools to be a reliable 3-point shooter for as long as he stays in the NBA.