Milwaukee Bucks: 3 exciting breakout candidates for the 2021-22 season

One of the breaks that a team needs to get to capture a championship is a breakout performance from an unlikely source to help propel them. For the Milwaukee Bucks last season, it was Bobby Portis, who became an invaluable member of the rotation throughout the season.

Portis helped stabilize the frontcourt rotation, giving the Bucks a different look off the bench as a more mobile player relative to his starter counterpart, Brook Lopez. He showed an ability to consistently hit 3s at a high level while improving on defense as the year went on.

There’s a new cast of rotation players that could be the Bucks breakout player this season, something they’ll need if they want to repeat as champions. There’s also a chance that it’s a player who remains on the roster from last season as the Bucks have a few young players who could surprise fans this season.

If the Bucks want to help supplement their big three with impact players, they’ll need one of their rotation players to step up like Portis did last season. This is one of the deepest Bucks rosters in a long time, so there are plenty of candidates but also a logjam for playing time that should create natural, healthy competition for who could become that next breakout player.

3 potential breakout candidates for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021: Jordan Nwora

Although it may be difficult for Nwora to find minutes in the rotation, he was pegged as a breakout candidate by a national writer already this preseason. It may seem a little farfetched on the surface with the abundance of NBA-ready wings the Bucks have on the roster, but Nwora does have a path to playing time this season and he’s showing why early on in the preseason.

Nwora had some rough shooting performances in Summer League, but that could be attributed to fatigue after his terrific Olympic run with Nigeria. Now that he’s been able to rest, we’re seeing the scoring machine that Nwora can be.

He’s compiled 46 points through two preseason games, including a 30-point performance against a near full-strength Brooklyn Nets squad. It’s been more than just scoring, though. Nwora is beginning to show he’s a more well-rounded offensive player early on in the preseason, something he needs to do to gain minutes in the regular season.

Nwora’s scoring is what has gotten him to the NFL, but it’ll be the other things that will get him regular minutes. For the Bucks to trust Nwora consistently, they’ll need to see him progress as a passer and defender. He’s showing a little bit of both early on, which is a great sign.

Nwora would bring a new dimension to the Bucks rotation by being a self-creator on offense. He has a solid handle and a knack for creating space on jumpers, it’s a skill set that head coach Mike Budenholzer could find a use for but he needs to be able to trust him.