Milwaukee Bucks rookie Jordan Nwora could be a viable contributor to this team when healthy.
When Jordan Nwora was still available on the draft board with the 45th overall pick, it was an easy decision for the Bucks to select him.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie ($$), Milwaukee had a first-round grade on Nwora heading into the draft and even considered selecting him with the 24th overall pick before they shipped it off as part of the Jrue Holiday trade. Things worked out in their favor regardless, and the rookie has shown potential in his limited time this year.
In 10 appearances with Milwaukee, Nwora has averaged 5.1 points on a .459/.500/.900 slash line and 1.5 rebounds in 82 total minutes. Much like Merrill, Nwora carries a sharpshooting prowess that makes him an easy fit with the Bucks, but his opportunities just have not been consistent.
The Bucks sent Nwora down to the G League bubble to get his feet wet, and it did not exactly go as planned. The 22-year-old made just one appearance with the Salt Lake City Stars before spraining his ankle. However, in that one appearance, Nwora looked fantastic by putting up 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc.
Nwora has since been recalled to the Bucks to rehab the injury, and it is unfortunate that he will miss out on seeing more time in the G League to find his footing. Hopefully, the rookie makes a speedy recovery and can try to carve out a role for himself with this team.
All three of Milwaukee’s rookies have shown substantial upside, and hopefully, the Bucks do not keep them stuck on the shelf forever if an opportunity presents itself.