In the Mike Budenholzer coaching era, it’s been hard for young Milwaukee Bucks to carve out roles for themselves on the team due to a reliance on veteran talent.
They’ll see occasional action but rarely anything overly consistent to get a true grasp of what they legitimately can do at this level. Given Milwaukee’s title aspirations and dependence on veterans with experience at the highest level, it’s not a horrible approach. Yet, In these scenarios, fans often wonder what those players would look like if they were given consistent playing time. Well, there are a pair of former young Milwaukee Bucks showcasing their skills after landing with new teams recently, and they’ve been great.
These 2 former Milwaukee Bucks have flourished with their new teams
Jordan Nwora was dealt to the Indiana Pacers in a three-team deal that helped the Bucks acquire Jae Crowder. During his two-and-a-half seasons with the Bucks, Nwora flashed signs of being an excellent scorer and long-range marksman, but his playing time was hit or miss. It was clear that he would have benefitted from a fresh start elsewhere, which is exactly what has happened.
In 14 contests with the Pacers thus far, Nwora has posted new career bests in essentially every major category; he’s averaging 11.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 0.8 steals. The primary reason for this uptick in production is Nwora’s increase in minutes, having logged 22.6 minutes on average with his new team. With the Pacers primarily comprised of younger players, Nwora has fit in like a glove and has gotten a genuine shot to see the floor with regularity.
Another former Buck who has changed teams recently is Sandro Mamukelashvili, who joined the San Antonio Spurs after abruptly being waived by Milwaukee. After being selected 54th overall in 2021, Mamukelashvili scarcely played meaningful minutes, but he showed glimpses of his talents, primarily his passing, shooting, and rebounding. Yet, it was hard to crack Milwaukee’s frontcourt rotation with names like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis in town.
In eight games with the Spurs, the 23-year-old has seen plenty of playing time, having averaged 19.8 minutes per game. His previous career high with the Bucks was 9.9 in 2021-22. With the Spurs, Mamukelashvili has averaged an eye-catching 7.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, all of which are new career highs. The big man recently logged one of his best NBA games ever with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, and three steals in a loss to the Pelicans. He’s been a diamond in the rough for the Spurs, who are also a team zeroed in on developing their youth.
Both players could undoubtedly have a future with their respective teams. They’ve performed well when given minutes, and they could certainly continue developing as time goes on.