The Toronto Raptors missed out on selecting Andrew Nembhard in the 2022 NBA Draft.
With the opportunity to select another Nembhard looming in the upcoming draft, the Raptors may not miss their chance this time around.
Andrew’s younger brother, Ryan Nembhard, is going to have a draft workout with the Raptors on Monday, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange.
Probably the most intriguing wrinkle here is that the Raptors are unlikely to take Nembhard with either of their current picks. He was initially left off most draft boards and has only recently risen into the 50-60 range in some mocks after a strong appearance at the draft combine.
In the first day of scrimmages the five-foot-11 point guard dished a game-high eight assists to go along with 13 points and three steals. On the second day he tied for a game-high with six assists adding eight points and two steals.
Nembhard, 22, led the NCAA in assists this past season, averaging 9.8 in his senior year at Gonzaga, the same school Andrew Nembhard attended for his final two seasons of college.
Georgia coach Mike White – who previously coached the younger Nembhard during his first two years of college with the Florida Gators – spoke highly of the Aurora, Ont. native prior to their matchup in the first round of March Madness.
“They’ve got arguably the best passer in college basketball in Nembhard,” White said. “He’s just an unbelievably quick thinker and surgeon of a passer, sees things before they happen, makes everyone around him better. Good speed, good player. Just a really, really good player. He makes those guys better.”
While Nembhard would be a reach at 39, it is possible that the Raptors do some maneuvering to acquire a later pick if they end up really liking him. Last season Toronto traded for both the 45th pick in Jalen McDaniels-Davion Mitchell deal (steal) and bought the 57th pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves to select Ulrich Chomche.
I doubt anyone needs reminding, but Toronto traded what ended up being the 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft to the San Antonio Spurs as part of the Goran Dragic-Thad Young trade, and selected Christian Koloko two picks after Andrew Nembhard with the second-round pick they got back from the Spurs. Of course there is no guarantee that the Raptors choose the older Nembhard here even if they had kept their pick.
The Indiana Pacers guard is obviously enjoying the best basketball of his career right now as an integral part of their run to the finals. He’s played exceptional defence both off the ball and on some of the best scorers in the world in Jalen Brunson and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, while also hitting at an absurd (45.7%) rate from 3.
While Andrew Nembhard was considered to be a more valuable prospect, maybe this time around the Raptors prioritize taking a shot on an intriguing hometown guard.
