Reactions to Milwaukee Bucks re-signing Jordan Nwora

The Milwaukee Bucks will be back in training camp this week. Continuing with what they’ve done in the entire 2022 offseason, another familiar face will be returning to the team. Jordan Nwora has re-signed with the Bucks, the team announced Monday.

Reactions to the Milwaukee Bucks re-signing Jordan Nwora as training camp opens

Re-signing Nwora isn’t a surprise, considering nobody made an offer for the Bucks to match. From the team’s perspective, it makes a lot of sense. Nwora is going into his third NBA season. Although his first two wouldn’t be described as stellar seasons, Nwora did show some potential in him.

Many fans had high expectations for Nwora heading into season two after seeing some flashes during his rookie season, but his second season was a disappointment for the most part. Despite that, we can take some things away as positive.

Nwora was at his best when he was used in the starting lineup. In the starting lineup last season, Nwora averaged 16.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, per Basketball-Reference. His shooting numbers were also solid in the starting lineup, with splits of .432/.417/.895, respectively. Nwora’s ability to step into a more prominent role and become a contributor will be tremendous for the Bucks early on in the season if Khris Middleton is still unavailable due to his wrist injury.

Unfortunately, after Middleton’s return and the whole team becoming healthy at some point in the season, Nwora will likely be relegated back to an insignificant bench role. The bench role hasn’t treated Nwora all that well, as his averages drop to just 5.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game. His shooting numbers take a hit, with splits of .383/.308/.792 as a reserve.

The good news about this signing and for Nwora is that he will have an opportunity to prove himself this preseason and early in the regular season while the team misses Joe Ingles and Middleton. Seeing as Nwora performs better in more significant roles, he’s getting an audition to show that he’s worth it and capable of living up to the potential that the Bucks and many of their fans see in him.

Ultimately, if Nwora can become more consistent, we may talk about this contract as a steal in a couple of years. All you have to do is watch Nwora, and you can see his potential as a scorer. The biggest problem that has plagued Nwora throughout his first two seasons has been his shot selection. He’s forced a lot of shots, but so do a lot of young players trying to get their feet wet in the NBA. Hopefully, with some experience under his belt, we can see less of that in year three.

The other thing that Nwora must improve on is his defense. Perhaps the biggest reason Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has been so hesitant to give Nwora consistent minutes is that he’s not quite there defensively yet.

There’s a lot of potential in Nwora on both sides of the ball. If he can harness it, the Bucks could have another bright player in their future.

Stay tuned for updates on the Bucks and Nwora as the preseason approaches.