David Nwaba Season Averages:
David Nwaba was one of the best stories on the Bulls last season. A player who had fought his way all the way up from a G-League tryout in 2016, to getting a spot on the Lakers roster in 2016-17, to signing with the Bulls as a free agent last summer, Nwaba has come up the hard way and proven his worth in the NBA.
Nwaba is an ultra-athletic shooting guard/wing player who brings a high motor and energy to every possession. He quickly became a fan favorite, diving for loose balls, defending like his life depended on it and playing with an aggression few players seem to possess. Given minutes this season, he improved his career stats – including an impressive improvement in his three point percentage to 34% up from 20% last season – but mostly, Nwaba’s worth can’t be proven in stats. He’s the ultimate glue guy, a guy that makes winning plays and makes the team better when he’s in the game. Let’s take a look at some of his highlights from his first season as a Bull.
February 22, vs Philadelphia 76ers (Sixers 116 , Bulls 115)
In a game in which Bobby Portis snagged all the headlines scoring a career-high 38 points to nearly knock off one of the NBA’s hottest young teams, it was Nwaba who quietly backed up Bobby’s big game to give the Bulls a fighting chance. Nwaba scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on the night, and hit all three of his triples, to give the Bulls a burst that saw them almost take one from Philly.
Nwaba Stat Line: 21 points (9-24 FG), 3-3 3PT, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
October 26, VS Atlanta Hawks (Bulls 91, Hawks 86)
In the Bulls’ first win of the season, it was one of the least known players in Nwaba who was turning heads and making a difference on the court. Nwaba posted 15 points on an efficient 8 shots and was the difference on the boards, collecting 11 rebounds. A double double in his 4th game in Chicago was a sign of things to come for Nwaba, who would be one of the more consistent players on the team the rest of the season.
Nwaba Stat Line: 15 points (5-8 FG), 1-1 3PT, 11 rebounds