Indiana Pacers exit interviews: Jordan Nwora adjusted to a new experience and situation. A summer of settling in comes next

Nwora grew significantly with the blue and gold

Everything changed for Jordan Nwora in February of this season.

Getting traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Indiana Pacers directly changed his life and living situation. From a basketball perspective, that shift was significant. He went from one of the youngest players on the Bucks to the oldest member of Indiana's starting five for multiple games. With Milwaukee, he was a role player tasked with shooting and finishing plays. With Indiana, he had more freedom to explore his game on both ends.

Nwora took it in stride and had a strong close to the season for the blue and gold. He made it clear why the Pacers wanted Nwora in the past, and why he could be a piece in the future.

"I think it was really big for myself, finally get this chance and opportunity. It was definitely something I was waiting for," Nwora said at his season exit interview with media members. "Like I've said before, super excited to be here, super excited to be with this team. I feel like it's a great spot for me."

The 24-year old played much differently with the blue and gold. At first, he was more so deployed as a jump shooter and transition weapon as he figured out the speed of the young Pacers. It was a big change switching a slower paced Bucks team to the Pacers.

But as time progressed, Nwora was giving chances to put the ball on the floor and make plays. He ballooned his assists per game number over two, a career best rate. He navigated pick and rolls. His usage rate went from 17.6% to 21.2%, a big jump.

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He took it in stride. He rarely looked uncomfortable with expanded responsibilities, and his efficiency actually peaked. His true shooting percentage with the Pacers was 58.6%, a solid number for a player exploring their game.

"There was some adjusting," Nwora said. He described the pivot as a 180, noting that he went from one of the youngest players on his old team to an older piece.

But that worked well. More than 10 members of Indiana's roster at the end of the season were 25 or younger, so Nwora had more teammates around his age range. He connected with them well, and that helped him settle in on the court.

"I think there's a different level of togetherness with this group just in terms of we're all younger," he said. "A lot of us like doing the same things, hanging out, doing the same stuff... everybody is super close."

He fit in right away. It was clear watching his interactions with teammates that he added to the spirit of the group. For a squad that worked hard to protect its culture all year, that was critical.

It translated to the court. Nwora pushed at the right times and never detracted from the team's identity. At his best, he was scoring 25 points in one quarter. At his worst, he was still providing spacing and being enough of a threat to garner defensive attention.

"I think these coaches know what I can be and they're going to develop me to do whatever they need me to be to help this team," Nwora said.

What makes that all fascinating is that Nwora didn't have many practices to acclimate to his new teammates. There weren't many opportunities after the trade deadline for him to learn in non-game settings. Yet he still improved quickly and scored 10 or more points 19 times in his last 21 games.

That's why Nwora is excited about the summer. He plans on spending time in Indy to work on his game and grow with his teammates. Plus, he joked, he won't have to be bothered by his three sisters back home in Buffalo all summer if he stays in Indy.

"I think it will be huge," he said of spending time in the offseason in the Circle City. "I didn't get a lot of practices post trade deadline. I think this summer is going to be huge."

He wants to improve his conditioning in the coming months so that he can keep up with the Pacers speedy style. That will help him be more effective on both ends and should continue to help him bloom.

"I think there's another level," he said of his game.

What that next level looks like won't be known until next season. But after improving his scoring averaged to 13 points per game and becoming a much more well-rounded player, it's clear that Jordan Nwora has a game worth exploring. Once he settles into his new situation, he could be even better for the Indiana Pacers.

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