This young forward may be the missing piece for the Pacers

Many fans were disappointed with the moves (or lack thereof) the Pacers made on the trade deadline. Many fans had their eyes set towards big names on the market such as OG Anunoby or Obi Toppin (ourselves included!). However, the players that they did manage to get, namely Jordan Nwora, could already fill a role that we desperately need filled.

It appears that the players that were acquired by the Pacers were happy to be here and already starting to get involved in the team:

Pacers fans got to see what Nwora could bring for the first time on Monday night as they watched the Pacers compete against the Jazz. Both Nwora and Hill suited up for the first time. The results seemed promising as Nwora had a few highlights himself right off the bat in his first game with Indiana.

https://twitter.com/PacersNationCP/status/1625295791157047296

The early results look promising. And fans were extremely positive after the initial performance from Nwora, who had 7 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist in 17 minutes played. While those stats won’t blow anyone away, keep in mind that this is Nwora’s first game in Indiana in a new system and he seemed to fit in really well initially.

So who is Jordan Nwora?

Indy fans may not realize how much upside Nwora contains

Nwora is an athletic forward that played his college basketball at the University of Louisville. He was drafted 45th overall in the 2020 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and has played the entirety of his professional career there. His stat line for the Bucks was: 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist on 38% FG and 39% FG3. And yes you read that right, Jordan is shooting better from behind the arc than his total percentage.

And while Nwora is certainly a talented shooter, he didn’t get much opportunity for the Bucks as a third string forward behind Giannis and Portis, and should be able to truly blossom in a developing rotation here in Indiana. But he does have one certified highlight to his career so far:

So it is clear that Nwora has the talent, it’s a matter of whether he can put it all together and sustain it in a larger role that the Pacers are interested in. He only average 16 minutes a game in Milwaukee, he will have an opportunity to play much more in Indy and we will see if he can keep production high.

Nwora has high upside and early returns indicate he may be a solid rotational player obtained for cheap.

When news first broke, I was hopeful that the Nwora deal would lead to something bigger for the Pacers. However, as time has passed, I feel that this might be a good long term move for the Pacers.

The Pacers in recent years have been capitalizing on lottery picks and draft prospects that are not given enough opportunity in the franchise they are at. Jalen Smith wasn’t given time in Phoenix, but seemed to do better here. Haliburton had to share the point guard spot in Sacramento, but has shined in the role as a Pacer. Nwora could become the next iteration of a find by Pritchard.

Plus, we literally gave up almost nothing for the upside, other than being willing to absorb a few players into our cap that the Bucks didn’t want to in addition to a few second rounds picks. This was a steal by the Pacers front office.

And don’t sleep on Nwora. Milwaukee did and they might have paid the price for it.