While the Milwaukee Bucks remain focused on getting right at the present, their future continues to shine far off in the horizon.
After setting a career-high night in the Bucks’ loss to the Charlotte Hornets Friday night, rookie forward Jordan Nwora has stood as a beacon of light in their rare nights where the Bucks’ prospects have gotten plenty of run this 2020-21 season.
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That was certainly true after Nwora scored 24 points on 9-for-16 shooting (4-of-10 from deep), six rebounds, a pair of assists and a steal in just over 32 minutes of run against the Hornets.
Just as was the case in the Bucks’ loss to the New York Knicks last month, taking on a featured role within the Bucks’ offense has suited Nwora incredibly well in his limited NBA minutes this year.
The scoring outbursts that Nwora has had has certainly been defined by his sharpshooting from beyond the arc where he’s now shooting 24-for-49 from that range (48.9 percent) across both the NBA and G League levels this year.
All of that starts with Nwora’s sweet, effortless shooting stroke that is equally lethal when shooting off the catch or off the dribble. Per NBA.com/stats, Nwora is scoring 1.90 points per spot up possession, which ranks in the 99th percentile, and is shooting 9-for-13 on pull up triples (69.2 percent) over his 187 total NBA minutes.
While he has a lower release when attempting shots off the dribble, it’s rare to see a player of Nwora’s size and shooting ability can rise and fire to get these kind of looks from well beyond the arc, especially at this stage in his development.
Jordan Nwora has the potential to play a future role for the Milwaukee Bucks
Nwora clearly brings plenty of shooting to the table and his performance against the Hornets showed the strong penetrating he can show when getting into the paint. The touch on Nwora’s floater, in particular, is a good counter as he isn’t the most explosive finisher against crowds at or around the basket.
For all of these glimpses of potential to show when Nwora’s playing heavy minutes or when he’s getting the rare nod in the rotation when the Bucks are near full strength, you understand why the front office rated so him highly in last year’s draft. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie (subscription required) wrote after the draft that the Bucks had a first round grade on Nwora before ultimately acquiring the 45th overall selection from the Orlando Magic for two future second rounders on draft day and tabbing him with that pick.
As his scoring and dangerous shooting continues to translate, Nwora’s building the foundation to see consistent rotation minutes beyond this season. In order to fulfill that potential, Nwora has looked to the defensive end and continue acclimating to the Bucks’ defensive system as he discussed after last night’s game against Charlotte:
"“The biggest thing for me is helpside, just staying locked in on that end. I think I’m alright on the ball. Just staying locked in with all of our principles. It’s different from the pack line I played at Louisville (chuckles), so it’s learning the principles and staying locked in. I’m sure I’ll get better. It’s only my second game playing a lot of minutes and I take in pride in getting better, so I’ll get there for sure.”"
While there is more room for Nwora to grow elsewhere around the floor, the scoring promise he brings to the table is indisputable. If he continues scoring in bunches as he has over his limited minutes this season, it won’t be long until we see him fill it up on a regular basis.