{"id":357198,"date":"2025-12-19T02:33:12","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T02:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/357198\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T02:33:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T02:33:12","slug":"how-former-gonzaga-stars-are-performing-two-months-into-the-nba-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/357198\/","title":{"rendered":"How former Gonzaga stars are performing two months into the NBA season"},"content":{"rendered":"

12 different Gonzaga Bulldogs<\/a> have appeared in an NBA game so far in 2025-26, a new record for Mark Few’s team and a testament to how successful this program has been at developing talent.<\/p>\n

After missing the first month-plus of the season with injuries, both Zach Collins (Chicago) and Brandon Clarke (Memphis) made their return to the court in December. Collins has appeared in five games as a reserve center for the Bulls, while Clarke’s season debut came on Wednesday as a member of the Grizzlies’ depleted starting lineup.<\/p>\n

However, injuries have impacted many other Gonzaga stars as of late, with Corey Kispert, Domantas Sabonis, Julian Strawther, and now Jalen Suggs all on the shelf with various ailments.<\/p>\n

Below is a look at how Gonzaga’s alumni are performing in the NBA this season, with updates on both Ryan and Andrew Nembhard, Rui Hachimura, and another appearance from the great Drew Timme:<\/p>\n

Brandon Clarke, Memphis Grizzlies\"Memphis<\/p>\n

Dec 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke (15) loses control of the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) plays defense in the first half at Target Center. | Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 1 game, 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal in 16 minutes<\/p>\n

Clarke returned to the floor for Memphis on Wednesday, starting in his season debut and racking up six points and three rebounds in just over 16 minutes of action. The 6’8 forward missed the first two months of the season following offseason knee surgery, but looked healthy and ready to contribute for a Grizzlies team that desperately needs help up front with Zach Edey on the shelf.<\/p>\n

Zach Collins, Chicago Bulls\"Chicago<\/p>\n

Dec 12, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Zach Collins (12) brings the ball up court guarded by Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the second half at Spectrum Center. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 5 games, 7.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 33.3% from 3 in 17.4 MPG<\/p>\n

Collins missed the start of the season with a wrist injury, but has slid comfortably into a key rotation role for the Bulls over the past two weeks. The 6’10 big man was instrumental in Chicago’s road win over Charlotte on Dec. 12, chipping in 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-7 shooting for the Bulls.<\/p>\n

Rui Hachimura, Los Angeles Lakers\"Los<\/p>\n

Dec 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) reacts during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 24 games, 13.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 46% from 3 in 32.9 MPG<\/p>\n

Now in his seventh NBA season, and arguably on the most talented roster he’s ever been apart of, Hachimura is averaging a career-high 32.9 minutes per game as a major contributor for this Lakers squad.<\/p>\n

The 6’8 wing is shooting a red hot 46% from beyond the arc, and his floor spacing and scoring ability make him a great complimentary player alongside LeBron James and Luka Doncic in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder\"Oklahoma<\/p>\n

Dec 7, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) prepares to lay up the ball against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Delta Center. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 22 games, 18.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.5 blocks, 39.3% from 3 in 28.8 MPG<\/p>\n

Holmgren has taken a leap as a scorer in his third NBA season, posting a career-high 18.7 points per game while shooting 65.8% on twos and 39.3% from three, both the best marks of his career. <\/p>\n

His effective field goal percentage of 63.6% is 11th in the league, and he’s a major part of OKC’s scorching hot 24-2 start to the season.<\/p>\n

Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards\"Washington<\/p>\n

Nov 25, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards forward Corey Kispert (24) shoots the ball as Atlanta Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (7) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 17 games, 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 40.3% from 3 in 19.9 MPG<\/p>\n

Kispert suffered a fractured thumb on Thanksgiving which is expected to keep him on the shelf for multiple weeks. Prior to the injury the 6’7 wing was shooting over 40% from three and nearly 70% on two pointers despite a reduced role on a team out of contention.<\/p>\n

Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers\"Indiana<\/p>\n

Dec 14, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard\/forward Andrew Nembhard (2) dribbles the ball while Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (7) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 18 games, 17.3 points, 6.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 34.4% from 3 in 31.2 MPG<\/p>\n

Nembhard has taken on a much bigger role with Indiana this year while star guard Tyrese Haliburton is on the shelf with a torn ACL, and it has led to the fourth year guard putting up career highs nearly across the board.<\/p>\n

Nembhard looked on the verge of stardom late last season, really turning heads with his clutch performance in the NBA Playoffs. Now he’s a bonafide dude defying all expectations – and paving the way for his younger brother to do exactly the same thing:<\/p>\n

Ryan Nembhard, Dallas Mavericks\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dec 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Ryan Nembhard (9) controls the ball as Miami Heat guard Davion Mitchell (45) defends during the first half at American Airlines Center. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 14 games, 8.6 points, 5.2 assists, 1.7 rebounds, 45.9% from 3<\/p>\n

Nembhard is now entrenched as Dallas’ starting point guard, and he’s racked up seven or more assists in three of his last five games while scoring in double-figures in four of them.<\/p>\n

After going undrafted in 2025, Nembhard has quickly proven his doubters wrong in a strong start to his NBA career – much like his older brother did three years previously with Indiana.<\/p>\n

Kelly Olynyk, San Antonio Spurs\"San<\/p>\n

Dec 10, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Kelly Olynyk (8) and Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) battle for a rebound during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 14 games, 4.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 33.3% from 3<\/p>\n

Olynyk isn’t playing very consistently for a very good San Antonio club this season, but he proved he still has it with a strong 11 point, two rebound, two steal performance in 15 minutes against New Orleans back on Dec. 8.<\/p>\n

He’ll continue to be valuable frontcourt depth for the Spurs behind superstar Victor Wembanyama.<\/p>\n

Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings\"Sacramento<\/p>\n

Nov 16, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis (11) and San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet (7) battle for position in the first half at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 11 games, 17.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals in 33.2 MPG<\/p>\n

Sabonis has not played since our last update, as he is still recovering from a knee injury that could keep him out for the rest of 2025 and into 2026.<\/p>\n

Julian Strawther, Denver Nuggets\"Denver<\/p>\n

Nov 19, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Julian Strawther (3) during warmups before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 9 games, 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 64.3% on twos in 7.9 MPG<\/p>\n

Like Sabonis, Strawther has not played since our last update either as he recovers from a back injury suffered in mid-November.<\/p>\n

Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic\"Orlando<\/p>\n

Dec 13, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) talks with referee Sean Corbin (33) against the New York Knicks during the second quarter at T-Mobile Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 21 games, 15.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals in 25.6 MPG<\/p>\n

Suggs had arguably his best game of the season last week against the Knicks, scoring 26 points with seven assists on 10-16 shooting. However he was diagnosed with a left hip contusion after the game and is set to miss Thursday’s game against Denver, with his long term timeline still up in the air.<\/p>\n

Drew Timme, Los Angeles Lakers\"Former<\/p>\n

Apr 3, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Former Brooklyn Nets forward Drew Timme (26) prior to the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Barclays Center. | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Stats: 2 games, 2 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal in eight minutes<\/p>\n

Timme is on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers and has appeared in a pair of games, most recently on Dec. 5 when he racked up three assists and two rebounds in six minutes of action.<\/p>\n

Look for the former All-American to get into more games for LAL as the season goes on.<\/p>\n

MORE GONZAGA NEWS & ANALYSIS<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"12 different Gonzaga Bulldogs have appeared in an NBA game so far in 2025-26, a new record for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":357199,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[355,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-357198","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-nba","9":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357198","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357198"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357198\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357198"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357198"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357198"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}