Jordan Nwora has a lot of confidence in his ability. So too do the Milwaukee Bucks.
Time will tell if it’s a marriage made in heaven, but for now Nwora is living the dream, eager to get to work for his new employer.
Not only did Nwora, the former Park School and Louisville standout, get drafted but he was selected by Milwaukee, one of the best teams in the NBA.
Nwora became the first Buffalo/Western New Yorker drafted by an NBA team in 10 years late Wednesday night when the association’s deputy commissioner, Mark Tatum, called out his name 15 picks into the second and final round. The 6-foot-8, 225-pound guard/forward was the 45th overall player taken.
Nwora is the first area player drafted by an NBA team since ex-Traditional and Marquette star Lazar Hayward was picked by Washington 30th overall in 2010.
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“Everybody’s just super excited,” said Nwora early Thursday morning during a video conference. “Obviously, not a lot people get this opportunity, and I couldn’t be going to a better spot. I’m just ready to go and get to work.”
The Bucks acquired the pick they used to select Nwora early Wednesday from Orlando. They seemed to be interested in acquiring his services from the start, per Nwora.
Milwaukee had a first-round pick at No. 24 but that selection, R.J. Hampton, is heading to the Denver Nuggets via New Orleans as part of the deal that enabled the Bucks to land savvy veteran guard and former all-star Jrue Holiday, a move to strengthen their starting lineup.
From that point, it was a waiting game for Nwora. Would he go at 45 to Milwaukee? Would it be somewhere else in the draft?
“Fortunately, they reached out to my agency and told me they were going to do everything they can do to get me,” Nwora said. “They were going to move up and get me in the early 30s, but luckily my agency (Priority Sports and Entertainment) was able to hold off everybody else. They really wanted me bad. … I can’t wait to get down there and I couldn’t be in a better spot.”
Nwora is being viewed as someone who could potentially come off the bench and contribute right away for a team that loves to kick the ball outside to shoot 3-pointers, a Nwora specialty.
He was regarded as one of the best shooters available in the draft, finishing his three seasons at Louisville with a .445 shooting percentage. He shot .394 from beyond the arc, as the third-team All-American can catch and shoot and has an exceptionally quick release.
Nwora is coming off a junior season in which he earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference first team. He was the only player in the conference to rank in the top 10 in scoring (18.0 ppg, second in the ACC), rebounding (7.7, eighth), free-throw percentage (.813, 4th), field goal percentage (.440, 8th) and three-pointers made per game (2.45, second). He was runner-up for conference player of the year honors.
“He rebounds his position. He goes after the ball,” ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said shortly after the pick. “He improved his efficiency from his freshman year, fewer dribbles and he improved as a defender. … Under (coach) Chris Mack, he got tougher and tougher.”
At his NBA combine/pro day workout in Cleveland last month, Nwora drained a workout best 82% of his spot-up threes. The two-time first-team All-Western New York selection also led the recruits during a 5-minute, 3-point shooting drill by sinking 78% of his shots.
Milwaukee team officials also got a close view of what Nwora can do, as they came to Buffalo to watch him work out at Erie Community College.
“It’s crazy they have a ton of confidence in me,” Nwora said. “As soon as I was drafted, I was on the phone with GM Jon Horst. They told me how to get down there and get ready to knock down a bunch of threes.”
The season is scheduled to open next month. Nwora is going to be a rookie on one of the top teams in the NBA with superstar and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Guess who’s going to attract most of the defense’s attention?
“That’s going to help me so much,” said Nwora of not being the focal point of the offense. “Really, my type of game, I feel I’m someone who will help those kinds of players in terms of shooting and spacing the floor. My shooting ability I’m sure I’ll be able to help Giannis, space the floor to make the game easy for him. If he’s not getting good looks, he’ll be able to kick out and I’ll knock down some threes for him. … We’re going to see what happens.”
“You want guys who are ready to play and he’s ready to play,” Givony said. “You don’t have to put 20 pounds on him or work on his jump shot. He’s a lot more ready to contribute than other guys in this draft. Guys like him are going to benefit from that.”
Will other Western New York basketball talents get to hear their name down the road? Nwora’s selection can only boost the area’s profile.
“I think it’s big for Western New York basketball,” former Park coach Mike Battaglia said. “I think it’s big for the Park School. But I think it’s even bigger for the guys who played with him and coached him. We all hope he goes as high as possible and plays in the NBA a long time.”
