Milwaukee Bucks: Evaluating the young players after preseason

Evaluating the Milwaukee Bucks young players after the preseason: Jordan Nwora makes his case to be in the rotation

It may sound weird, but I don’t think there was a player with higher expectations among Bucks fans than Jordan Nwora. He’s a bucket-getter and that will always catch the eye of fans and they were ready to anoint him with a rotation spot after his early preseason games where he played heavy minutes and dropped 30 points against the Brooklyn Nets regulars.

Nwora was in a similar position to Mamukelashvili in that he was able to benefit from some unfortunate injury luck to another player in his position group; Rodney Hood. He certainly made the most of his opportunities, playing in all five preseason games and averaging 23.7 minutes, 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and a steal per game. He shot over 41 percent from deep on nearly seven attempts per game, including a dreadful 1-for-9 effort from behind the arc in the preseason finale.

Nwora showcased a more complete game at times and when he didn’t, like against the Dallas Mavericks, he learned from it and came back with a better effort on defense after. I was impressed with how much more complete Nwora looked in these preseason games and he was rewarded for it by starting with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday in Khris Middleton’s absence.

But don’t just take it from me, let the man himself tell you what he thinks he improved on most! “I think I’ve improved on the defensive side of the ball,” Nwora told reporters after the game against the Mavericks. “I think I’ve been more willing to get off the ball this year so far. Just continuing to do that. Playing the right way, make winning plays, that’s going to be the stuff that gets me on the court.”

It’s clear there was a message sent to Nwora that he could be in the rotation this year if he takes strides in the other areas of his game. He has looked like a more willing passer this preseason and in Summer League, which is a big step forward. They’ve given him more on-ball reps this year and it has led to him playing more confidently. There’s a strong chance Nwora can open the season in the rotation and give the Bucks a scoring punch off the bench if he can continue to make improvements in those other areas.

I’m very excited to see how all three young guys progress this season, whether it’s with the Bucks or Herd.