Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer on Indiana Pacers forward Jordan Nwora: 'He's a great talent'
Jordan Nwora was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Indiana Pacers in February, and he immediately was given more responsibilities.
With the Bucks, Nwora took a higher percentage of his shots from beyond the arc and was asked to finish plays more so than to create them for others. On a team with superstars, he just needed to put the ball in the basket when he was open.
The Pacers let Nwora explore his game. He took more shots inside the arc and was free to put the ball on the floor. He passed often as Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle allowed Nwora to develop as a creator. The forward even ran a few pick and rolls. It was a totally different experience between teams for the 24-year old.
"I've definitely felt that [added responsibility]," Nwora said in late March. His usage rate this campaign was 17.6% in Milwaukee and 21.2% in Indiana.
The impressive part of Nwora's enhanced role in Indiana was that he took it in stride. He didn't show a noticeable dip in defensive abilities, his efficiency actually increased, and he displayed capable play as a passer. None of it looked unnatural despite his skillset rarely expanding with the Bucks.
That is no fault of Milwaukee. They are the best team in the NBA and have championship aspirations, most non-star players on the Bucks have limited roles. Nwora was asked to master just a few skills that would improve Milwaukee's potency when their stars were in the game.
In Indiana, development was the name of the game. More skills were explored, and encouraged. That was excellent for Nwora, as well as other youngsters who were recently traded to the Pacers like Jalen Smith and Aaron Nesmith.
"I'm still trying to pick and choose my spots. I'm still learning a lot," Nwora said just before the end of the season. He had 18 points in a game just before making that statement. "My goal every game is to hopefully get better."
His 18-point outing, fittingly, came against the Bucks. Just two weeks prior, he finished with 12 points and nine rebounds in a win over Milwaukee. As he worked to get better, he was also playing well and helping the Pacers take down tough opponents.
In the win over his former team, Nwora had four assists. He only reached that number four times as a member of the Bucks in over two seasons, but he's already done it five times with the Pacers. He showed off his new responsibilities against his old team.
"He's got playmaking," Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Nwora a few weeks later. "He's got shot making, he's got size. He's got a lot of things to build up from."
Budenholzer coached the young forward for the first 130 games of his career. He's seen Nwora grow with Indiana, including twice during Bucks-Pacers duels.
"We played them. He played great against us. He's a great talent. Jordan gave us a lot. Ton of respect for him," Budenholzer said in late March. "In some strange ways, happy for him for his opportunity. He's getting to play a lot with this team. He's got a ton of talent... Except for tonight, I hope he does well," he joked. Milwaukee won 149-136.
Nwora finished his stint with the Pacers this season averaging 13.0 points per game. He scored in double figures 19 times during the team's final 21 games. His output as a play finisher was impressive.
He also grabbed nearly five rebounds per night and more than doubled his assist average. Nwora found a perfect situation for himself in Indiana, and he took advantage of it. His former coach always knew he was talented enough to do it, but Nwora showed it on a nightly basis to finish the 2022-23 campaign.
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