Milwaukee Bucks Midseason Performance Grades: Wings
By Kenny Jilek
Milwaukee Bucks Rotation Players
Wesley Matthews
The long-range archer is back in Milwaukee where he belongs, and he’s been everything the Milwaukee Bucks could’ve wanted and more. He only wanted to play here this season, and he’s clearly fired up to be part of this squad.
He’s always been a good scorer in this league, but defense has been his calling card for years as well, and he’s been tenacious since joining the team early in December. Two years ago, when he started 67 games for this team, he was often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player, no matter their position, and he’s taken that on again this season guarding the likes of Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and LaMelo Ball.
In a lot of ways he gives this team what P.J. Tucker did last season, a gritty defensive-minded veteran who will bring toughness and energy every night. But it’s not just the intangibles. He’s having a very efficient season on offense.
His 47.3 shooting percentage is the best of his career since his rookie year, and 40.3 percent from three-point range is his best since his second season. He’s not a high-volume guy, but he doesn’t have to be. He gives the Bucks just enough extra scoring punch to combine with his defense that he’s a great weapon and looking like he could be a valuable asset in the playoffs.
Overall Season Grade: A-
Jordan Nwora
What’s one word that can be used to describe Jordan Nwora? Streaky. The first game against Charlotte, he was 1-6 from deep and 1-11 overall and was a big reason they lost. Two days later, against the same team, he was 4-7 from long range and 7-10 overall for a very efficient 18 points. Then against the Warriors, he was 0-4 from three and 3-10 from the floor.
This is not just a recent development for Nwora; this is the story of his season. Overall, the streaks have landed more hot than cold from three-point range, landing him at an above-average 37.9 percent from deep. However, 41.6 percent from the field isn’t great.
There’s also been a lot of talk of the Milwaukee Bucks challenging him to become a more complete player on both ends, so how’s that going? Well, he’s averaging 4.1 rebounds per game which isn’t bad. He’s been seemingly making better decisions with his assist percentage up and his turnover percentage down. But his offensive and defensive box plus-minus are still both in the negative.
He’s an interesting case because he’s pretty much the only young talent the Bucks have, so it would be great for him to pan out, and he’s also one of the only potentially valuable trade chips they’ll have if they want to upgrade at the deadline. Here’s to hoping he catches a few more hot streaks.
Overall Season Grade: B-