Milwaukee Bucks: 3 reasons why Jordan Nwora deserves more minutes

After selecting him with the 45th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks may have a hidden gem on their roster in rookie Jordan Nwora.

Milwaukee’s interest in the three-year man out of Louisville had been prominent leading up to the draft, as The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie (Subscription required) reported the Bucks initially had a first round grade on him. That was made difficult when the team traded their 24th overall selection away in the trade for Jrue Holiday.

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Nevertheless, things panned out anyway, as he was an obvious choice for them when he was still on the board at the 45th overall selection.

Despite how prevalent their rumored interest in him was, playing time has been scarce for the 22-year-old. Logging just 187 total minutes in 20 appearances this season, Nwora has largely been a spectator on the end of the bench during his rookie campaign to this point.

However, recent injuries to Milwaukee’s roster have given the rookie more chances in the lineup, and he has taken advantage of the opportunity. With some impressive showings in the books, here are three reasons why the Bucks should look to get Jordan Nwora more involved in the rotation moving forward.

Jordan Nwora’s shooting would provide more firepower for the Milwaukee Bucks

Heading into the draft, Nwora was an easy choice for the Bucks, given what he displayed on the offensive side of the ball throughout his collegiate career.

In his final two seasons at Louisville, the forward averaged 17.5 points on .443/.387/.788 shooting splits, 7.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Right off the bat, Nwora’s 3-point shooting is what stands out the most. Tallying 38.7 percent on 6.1 attempts from behind the arc in that span, the forward was hypothetically a seamless fit in Milwaukee’s let it fly minded offense.

Shooting 18-of-40 (45 percent) from deep with the Bucks, Nwora has been able to translate that shooting efficiency over into the NBA. That problem is that it comes in such a small sample size, given Nwora’s exclusion from the main rotation. Milwaukee currently boasts the third-best 3-point percentage in the league at 39.3 percent, and adding a player like Nwora into the fold more regularly would only make them that much more formidable from long range.

Furthermore, the Bucks could use a player like Nwora to boost the production from an inconsistent second unit.