The Milwaukee Bucks’ youth was on full display against the Miami Heat with a pair of strong performances
With many mainstay rotational players missing for the Milwaukee Bucks, Coach Budenholzer had to dig deep into his bench and mix up his rotation. In the process, two young players who typically do not see much playing time put together some eye-catching performances against the Heat.
The first was Jordan Nwora. The forward had an incredibly quiet first half as he finished with zero points in 11 minutes. However, he kicked it into high gear in the second half by scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-6 from behind the arc. As the game started to slip away in the second half, Nwora consistently kept the Bucks within striking distance by knocking down tough shot after tough shot. Nwora has not been a part of Milwaukee’s rotation for a while, but it was a good sign to see him take advantage when given the opportunity.
Another player who put together a promising performance was A.J. Green, Milwaukee’s undrafted rookie. Green scored a career-high 15 points versus the Heat courtesy of five 3-point makes on 10 attempts. With the second most 3-point attempts on the team, Green helped fuel Milwaukee’s big night from long range. Aside from a foolish foul that resulted in a 4-point play for the Heat, Green was great in his minutes against Miami. He continues to get playing time as a result of the Bucks missing several players, and he is undoubtedly taking advantage of it. Green has quietly proven to be one of the best 3-point shooters on the entire Milwaukee Bucks team.
It is a welcoming sign to see the young Bucks step up and produce when the team is shorthanded. Time will tell if these performances may help either player get more time in the Bucks’ rotation.