NBA Draft 2020: Big Board 1.0 after start of regular season

NBA Draft 2020 (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
NBA Draft 2020 (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)
18 of 32
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

15. Jordan Nwora, Small Forward

Current Team: Louisville

A very solid Louisville Cardinals team that could be a National Championship contender this season is spearheaded by one of the nation’s best returning forwards. Sophomore 6-foot-7 small forward Jordan Nwora is off to a scorching start in his second-year at Louisville and it might not slow down anytime soon.

Returning to school for a second season could really play to Nwora’s benefit just due to the fact that he will be one of the most NBA ready wings in this draft class. And he’s only a sophomore, so he’s not too old compared to all the promising true freshmen he’ll be competing against for the NBA Draft 2020.

To start out his sophomore campaign, Nwora is averaging 20.5 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists, while shooting 55.6 percent from three-point range and better than 53 percent from the field. But maybe the most impressive feat he’s racked up so far is shooting better than 94 percent from the free-throw line.

An incredulous 35.6 player efficiency rating and improved defensive rating now below 90 should be more than enough evidence that Nwora has taken a big leap forward as a more complete small forward. There is a very high floor for the services that Nwora brings and he could solidify himself as a mid-first round draft pick in the near future.