Mavericks' backup point guard battle heating up fast between a proven playmaker and a first-round rookie

The Dallas Mavericks didn't plan on a point guard competition this summer, but Ryan Nembhard and rookie Sergio De Larrea are turning the backup spot behind Kyrie Irving into one of the more interesting storylines out of Las Vegas.

Nembhard, entering his second season after going undrafted from Gonzaga Bulldogs, opened Summer League with a double-double in Thursday's 101-90 loss to Golden State. He scored 15 points, 11 assists, three rebounds, a steal, and a block in 35 minutes, according to NBA.com's box score.

Mavs assistant Joe Boylan called Nembhard a luxury for a Summer League roster to have, referring to his ability to pressure the ball and set the pace. Dallas already showed its hand on Nembhard's future, picking up his $2.2 million team option, which is confirmed by NBA insider Marc Stein.

De Larrea’s path to Dallas looks unique. The Lakers drafted him 25th overall this summer, traded his rights to the Knicks, and New York then moved him to the Mavericks. After signing his contract on July 3, he joined the Summer League starting lineup five days later.

His debut stats weren't great, as he put nine points on 3-of-14 shooting, six rebounds, and five assists on the score sheet, but his play style stood out beyond the box score. No Ceilings draft analyst Nathan Grubel noted that De Larrea played better than his numbers showed, praising his off-ball movement and highlighting him alongside the first-round pick Morez Johnson Jr.

Sergio De Larrea has been better than the box score would say. Has made a lot of sharp plays off the ball on offense. He’s been late on some defensive rotations, but nothing terrible. I think he’s been a bright spot for Dallas today along with Morez.

The two guards bring completely different styles to the floor. Nembhard is a steady, traditional floor general who already has a year of NBA experience. De Larrea is a 6-foot-7 playmaker who spent last season running pick-and-rolls and shooting over 40% from deep for Valencia in Spain. While his ball-handling looked a bit shaky early on, he seemed highly comfortable directing screens.

Dallas next takes the floor Saturday against the Lakers, with both guards expected to keep logging minutes as the backup job behind Irving stays up for grabs.

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