Former Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard earns starting spot with Pacers as rookie

Andrew Nembhard is putting together a memorable rookie season in the NBA.

The former Gonzaga standout has become a fixture in the Indiana Pacers’ starting lineup and continues to put up solid numbers.

The 6-foot-5 guard averages 27.1 minutes, 8.4 points, 3.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds. He has made 40% of his 3-point attempts and drained a winning 3-pointer over LeBron James in late November.

Nembhard is shooting 54.5% from the field and nearly 89% at the foul line.

Corey Kispert has taken a step forward in his second season with Washington. The 6-7 wing has bumped his scoring average to 9.7, compared to 8.2 as a rookie. He also contributes 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

Kispert’s 3-point shooting accuracy has improved to 41.4% from 35.0 last year. He’s hit at least one 3-pointer in 15 consecutive games and he’s reached double-digit points in four of the past five contests. He’s averaging 28.1 minutes, up from 23.4 in his rookie season.

Rui Hachimura contributes 13.0 points – his fourth straight season in double figures – and 4.5 rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game for the Wizards. He’s made a career-high 54.0% of his field-goal attempts, including 36.9% on 3-pointers.

The 6-8 native of Japan scored a career-high 30 points in a win over Phoenix in late December.

Brandon Clarke is averaging double figures in points for the fourth consecutive season with Memphis. Clarke, sidelined the past five games with a hip injury, averages 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19.5 minutes.

Clarke has four double-doubles and he’s made 66.5% of his attempts inside the arc.

San Antonio’s Zach Collins is enjoying arguably the best season of his career. The 6-11 forward averages a career-high 9.5 points with 61.7% accuracy on shots inside the arc and 36.7% from distance. He pulls down 5.7 boards per game.

He averages 20.7 minutes, second only to 26.4 with Portland in 2019-20. He had 18 points, 12 rebounds and five assists in a narrow loss to Boston on Saturday.

Kelly Olynyk has made 39 starts for Utah and he’s producing 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. He’s hit 41.3% behind the 3-point line. His career high was 40.6% with Miami in 2019-20. The 10-year veteran has had six 20-point games, including 27 vs. New York in mid -November.

Former Zags in the NBA G League

Jeremy Pargo signed recently with the Windy City Bulls near his hometown of Chicago. He hasn’t played in the team’s three games since joining the team. He averaged 8.3 points in 11 games with Windy City last season.

Pargo, 36, has been busy recently with “The Final Play,” a movie that he wrote and stars in as the lead actor. He played in 86 NBA games and professionally in Israel, Russia, China, Lebanon and Italy.

Joel Ayayi averages 10.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals in nearly 30 minutes per game for the Lakeland Magic. The 6-5 guard is shooting 56.6% from the field, including 35.3% on 3-pointers for Orlando’s G League squad.

Ayayi averaged 12.6 points, 6.5 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season with Capital City, Washington’s G League team, and also played in seven NBA games for the Wizards.

Ryan Woolridge is back with Oklahoma City Blue after spending the 2020-21 season with the Thunder’s G League club. The 6-3 guard averages 6.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

He’s been on a tear in the new calendar year with 12, 18, 16 and 14 points in the past four games. Former Zag Grant Gibbs, who finished his career at Creighton, is in his third season as Oklahoma City’s coach.

David Stockton averages 11.9 points, 8.2 assists and 2.9 rebounds for the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Mad Ants. The 5-11 guard has connected on 47.8% from the field, including 39.4% on 3-pointers, and 85.7% at the free-throw line.

He made five 3s and finished with 27 points and 15 assists in a late December win over Windy City.

Zach Norvell Jr. has returned to Gonzaga as a student assistant while working on his undergraduate degree. The Chicago native, who has G League experience with the South Bay Lakers and Santa Cruz Warriors, had knee surgery recently.

Norvell played in five NBA games, two with the Lakers and three with the Warriors, during the 2019-20 season. Norvell joined Pargo in Golden State’s backcourt for three games in February 2020.