New Orleans Pelicans Draft Targets: Jordan Nwora fits well in round two

The New Orleans Pelicans own three picks in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft and Jordan Nwora could provide and early-impact as one of those choices.

Looking to continue building on their exciting young core of talent, the New Orleans Pelicans could look to the University of Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, who should be on the board when the team gets a few chances to pick in the second round.

Playing three seasons with the Louisville Cardinals, Nwora nearly made the jump to the NBA last season, where he was projected to fall in a similar position on the board.

Another year of development in college didn’t help his draft stock, but it did provide a pretty good proving point for his ability to succeed at the NBA, as consistency in the performances of young players is important to monitor while evaluating their value.

Part of that concern is due to the fact that he’ll turn 22-years-old before the start of next season, which is going to be a red flag for teams who question how much more development he’ll be able to take on once he reaches the league.

Making 31 appearances for a Louisville team that finished #14 in the AP Top 25, Nwora averaged a team-best 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and shot 40.1% from three on 6.1 attempts per contest.

Standing 6’7″ and 225 pounds, Nwora is a big, strong forward who can guard multiple positions and projects as a fit in modern NBA offenses for his at-rim scoring, in addition to the crucially impressive three-point stroke.

Nwora shot 39.4% on 4.9 attempts from three during his three-year run at Louisville, plus knocked down 78.5% of his free-throws (81.3% on 4.1 attempts per game last season), which is a pretty good indicator that his strong shooting stroke will transfer to the NBA.

Interestingly, he also had a 22.6 PER, which is pretty remarkable for a young player, though it was a stat posted at the college level.

While Nwora has the size and strength to make the leap, it’ll be a matter of explosiveness and speed that’ll ultimately play the biggest factor in his conversion to the NBA.

"“The question about him is athleticism. He’s not a super athlete. He’ll be just an average athlete in the NBA,” one scout said to Rick Bozich on Jordan Nwora. “Some people will worry about that, but I think his shooting ability really raises his chances. Plus, he’s helped by the fact this is not a very good draft.”"

Key to this New Orleans Pelicans’ draft is finding players that can improve the team’s lackluster defense during the 2019-2020 season; the team ranks 18th in the league allowing 111.6 points per possession, per Cleaning the Glass.

Nwora is someone who, on tape, could have the ability to body up star forwards like LeBron James and Paul George, a type of player who routinely victimized the New Orleans defense this season.

During his time with the Cardinals, Nwora was a high-impact defensive piece on a team that competed against true NBA talent in the ACC.

The Pelicans would certainly benefit from his defensive focus and intensity, as he posted a 97.2 defensive rating in his last season with Louisville.

While Pelicans fans might point to someone like Kenrich Williams a player already filling this role, Nwora might be able to provide the same defensive prowess while also doing a lot more on the offensive end of the floor.

Owning three picks in the second round of this year’s draft and with Nwora projected to fall somewhere between the 25th and 40th picks.

While his ceiling might not be as towering as others around the draft, Nwora has a low floor and seems like at least a good role player for a long time in this league. If he hits, it could be an insurance policy if Josh Hart gets a sizeable restricted free agent offer next summer.

Depending on what they select or do with their first pick, the New Orleans Pelicans could even move up the board if they saw the forward as a good fit for the team; adding four new prospects in the draft sounds like a lot for a team that has playoff aspirations next season.

Jordan Nwora is an interesting target with a strong collegiate resume; the New Orleans Pelicans could certainly benefit from someone with his credentials if he’s on the board when the team makes their selections in the second round of the 2020 NBA Draft.