Milwaukee Bucks: Jordan Nwora shows off versatility in preseason opener

The Milwaukee Bucks returned to action Tuesday night with a preseason matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, and it was certainly an interesting contest.

With most of the roster sidelined due to various injury concerns, coach Mike Budenholzer rolled out a starting lineup of George Hill, Grayson Allen, Jordan Nwora, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, and Brook Lopez. Ultimately, Memphis led most of the way and would secure the 87-77 victory after the game was canceled after three quarters due to a fire alarm, where no one was thankfully hurt. Although it was great to see the newcomers in Hill and Allen get some burn, the biggest takeaway from the contest was the eye-catching play from Nwora in his extended minutes.

The former second round pick played scarcely throughout his rookie season in 2020-21, but when he did, he showed signs of potential. Many believe he could be a key contributor to this team if he was given the chance, mostly due to his prolific shooting. Yet, the team needed Nwora to be more than just a pure shooter, as he has been categorized as a rather one-dimensional player in college and the NBA thus far. However, he showed potential during the preseason opener that he could be more than previously advertised.

Jordan Nwora showed signs of versatility in the Milwaukee Bucks’ preseason opener against the Memphis Grizzlies

What Nwora does best is shoot the basketball, which is precisely what he did Tuesday night as he got his share of looks on the offensive end. Nwora scored a team-high 16 points on 7-of-15 field goal shooting, including 1-of-4 from behind the arc. Dating back to his days at the collegiate level, the forward has always been known for his electric outside shot, but it simply was not falling last night. In the past, Nwora may have continued heaving those shots, but he showed off some range against the Grizzlies as he put the ball on the floor several times and took it inside, even getting a tough finish in traffic to go down.

Everyone knows Nwora is a confident player with the basketball in his hands. He is not shy about letting it fly, so there were few question marks in that regard last night. Another area of his game offensively that needed monitoring was his passing. Nwora finished with just seven assists after playing 274 minutes in his rookie season, a number far from ideal. According to NBA.com/stats, Nwora’s seven assists were the third-fewest in the entire league for a player to play at least 250 minutes on the season, being placed just ahead of JaKarr Sampson and Alfonzo McKinnie. While the Bucks will never rely on Nwora to be a facilitator, it is something that many want to see him improve heading into year two. 

Against the Grizzlies, Nwora totaled three assists in his 22-and-a-half minutes, four fewer than he dished out during his 274 minutes last season. While it might not seem like much, seeing him get others involved when he did not have a good shot was a welcoming sight. This improvement was also on display in the Summer League as he tallied eight assists in 115 minutes, which still might not seem like a lot, but this is a score-first forward here. Nwora’s passing ability will never dictate his playing time with the Bucks, but it does not hurt his chances.

On the other hand, one area that could certainly dictate his playing time is his defensive efforts. The Bucks knew Nwora was not an outstanding defender when they drafted him, with many of the scouring reports citing this as a weakness of his before the draft. That was on display during his rookie season, and given how much the Bucks are built on their defense, Nwora would have to improve on that end to bolster his chances of playing. He looked competent in that regard versus the Grizzlies, making fewer mistakes than he previously might have while guarding an assortment of players. He also tallied three steals in the contest, showing off his awareness defensively. Only time will tell if he can keep up this solid play defensively, but there is hope.

Overall, it is just one preseason game, and while Nwora looked solid, there is still much room to grow for the 23-year-old. Although he does not seem destined for a bigger role with the Bucks this coming season, a solid showing throughout the remainder of the preseason could potentially change that. He is someone that could undoubtedly help this team when he is out on the floor due to his shooting, but if he can also bring passing and improved defense, there is no ceiling on how important he could become. He just has to put everything together.

Hopefully, Tuesday night’s game against the Grizzlies was just the start for Nwora as there are still several preseason games left to be played.