Jason Kidd gets 100% real when he trusts Dallas’ new point guard

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd stressed confidence as a key factor in the team’s recent progress, singling out rookie shortstop Ryan Nembhard after Tuesday night’s game A 131–130 win over the Denver Nuggets.

Kidd addressed his confidence in Nembhard during a postgame presser with The Smoking Cuban’s Noah Weber, explaining why the 22-year-old continued to earn significant responsibility within the rotation.

“He knows how to get guys the ball, the pace. There’s trust, he can execute and you can see the relationship he has with Cooper is at a high level, so they both want each other to be successful. When you have that trust, and he understands how to play the game. He’s a basketball player, and guys love to play with him,” so that’s why he’s starting to play with him.

Nembhard turned it around in a quiet game against Denver, finishing with 11 points, seven assists and three rebounds while shooting 5-for-11 from the field and 1-for-3 from three-point range in 33 minutes. His control of tempo and decision-making proved critical as Dallas closed out the one-point win.

Jason Kidd on his confidence in Ryan Nembhard as his starting quarterback:

“He knows how to get the lads the ball, pace. There’s confidence, he can execute and you can see the relationship he has with Cooper is at a high level so they both want each other to be… pic.twitter.com/IhFKSKOe5b6

— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) December 23, 2025

Ryan Nembhardt’s emergence coincides with an improved stretch for the Mavericks

On the season, Nembhard is averaging 8.3 points, 5.6 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from the bench in 18 appearances, including 12 starts. His effectiveness has provided stability for a Mavericks lineup that has struggled with early season inconsistency.

The win continued a gradual turnaround for Dallas, who have shown improvement after opening the season 5–15. The Mavericks have now climbed to 12–19, with Nembhardt’s emergence coinciding with increased lineup stability.

Dallas will open a three-game road trip Christmas with a match against the Golden State Warriors (15–15) on Thursday at 5:00 PM ET. The game will be televised nationally on ABC and ESPN as the Mavericks look to build on their recent momentum.