After how they went out in the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks should already know by now what it feels like to regret passing on a Nembhard. After all, Andrew Nembhard all but torched them in their first-round playoff series, dropping 15 points and 4.8 assists per game on a scorching hot 50 percent from 3-point land.
To recall, Nembhard was selected 31st overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. In that same draft, the Milwaukee Bucks had the 24th overall pick, where they drafted MarJon Beauchamp.
It’s been in their face every time Andrew Nembhard torches Milwaukee with surgical pick-and-roll reads, stone-cold midrange jumpers, and the kind of poised decision-making this team has sorely lacked behind its stars.
Now, Andrew’s younger brother, Ryan Nembhard, is turning heads with his steady, two-way play at the NBA Draft Combine, and the Bucks have a chance to fix the mistake just a few short years ago.
If they’re paying attention, they won’t make the same error twice.
Andrew Nembhard's brother is making waves at the NBA Draft Combine
Ryan Nembhard just wrapped up his senior season at Gonzaga and looks like a throwback: a 6-foot floor general who plays with pace, patience, and precision. He averaged 9.8 assists to just 2.5 turnovers this year — a staggering ratio that speaks to how advanced his reads are in pick-and-roll settings. He controls the tempo of games like a vet and can dissect a defense in the halfcourt better than some guards already in the league.
He’s not just a passer, either. Nembhard made big strides as a scorer, showing real craft around the rim and touch off the bounce. He shot 44.4 percent on catch-and-shoot threes and 41.8 percent off the dribble — both career highs, and both signs that he’s more than just a steady hand. If the shot holds, he becomes a reliable offensive engine in spurts, not just a table-setter.
For a Milwaukee Bucks team that has lacked reliable playmaking and tempo control off the bench, especially when Damian Lillard sits, Nembhard is a natural fit. He’s low-usage, mistake-free, and built to make star-heavy rosters hum.
Of course, there are concerns.
Let's get the most obvious one out of the way: he’s quite small. At just 6 feet, 180 pounds, the defensive ceiling is limited. Bigger guards will pick on him. He’ll struggle at the rim in the NBA’s crowded paint. And despite his hot senior shooting splits, he was just a 34.7 percent 3-point shooter over his full college career. That raises questions about sustainability.
But his profile — intelligent, experienced, battle-tested — is exactly the kind of player who often gets overlooked in the second round before quietly carving out a role on a playoff team. The Bucks of all teams should know that. They passed on Andrew, who’s since become a critical rotation piece for a rival East contender. Then they lost to Andrew's team because of, among other things, their lack of consistent guard play.
The window in Milwaukee is narrow. Every rotation spot matters. If the Bucks are serious about finding impact players in the margins — that is, guys who can thrive in structure, execute under pressure, and give you a lift in the playoffs — then Ryan Nembhard is more than worth the bet.
It is, at the very least, a worthwhile gamble for a team hoping they don't get burned by a Nembhard again. He could be worth a flyer as an undrafted free agent.