The Houston Rockets have been impressed with David Nwaba’s form in offseason workouts, and they’re reportedly viewing the 27-year-old swingman as a “key rotation piece” for the 2020-21 season.
One reason for their confidence: The NBA’s next regular season isn’t expected to begin until at least January 2021. That’s about four months later than usual, all owing to the league’s multi-month hiatus late in the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For Nwaba, who tore his Achilles in December 2019, that extra time is important given the usual 12-month recovery timetable.
In a new interview with Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Iko asked Nwaba about what the hiatus meant to his recovery process. Nwaba replied:
I thought it worked out perfectly. Like if it wasn’t for it, the season would have started in September. I don’t feel like I would have been ready. that would have been around what, eight months or so? And right now I don’t feel like I’m ready. I’m not in the best of shape. I’m working on getting in shape.
It’s taken longer than what I thought to get back into shape, but that’s going to happen through time. Full strength is not there, explosiveness is not fully there, but that just comes with time. The season’s probably going to start in two, three months — I should be more than ready. So, I think it just worked out in my favor.
David Nwaba (@dnwaba0) exclusive:
▪️The Achilles injury in December
▪️Why the hiatus was the best thing for him
▪️”I want that matchup guarding every team’s best player”
▪️Becoming the Rockets X-factor, a career-best 3PT%, and more. https://t.co/ObUOIulxiT
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIkoNBA) October 13, 2020
Elsewhere in the interview, Nwaba says he’s growing more confident in his 3-point shot and is looking to fill his expected role as a valuable “3&D” (3-pointers and defense) piece for the Rockets.
As a 6-foot-5 guard with a long seven-foot wingspan, Nwaba has been best known over his career for athleticism and perimeter defense.
But in 20 games of the 2019-20 season prior to the Achilles injury, Nwaba showed renewed promise as a shooter by making a career-high 42.9% on 3-pointers. In his first three NBA seasons from 2016-17 through 2018-19, Nwaba had shot just 32.6% from 3-point range.
Here’s what Rockets GM Daryl Morey said about Nwaba after the team officially signed him to a two-year deal in June:
David, we think has really good potential. And obviously, you saw the deal had both this year and a future component.
You guys have a good sense of how we’re playing now, and the kinds of players we need for that style. We are fully committed to that. David Nwaba, we think fits that very well.
In all, Nwaba has played in 161 games over parts of four NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and most recently the Brooklyn Nets. For his career, Nwaba — who went undrafted in 2016 after his third and final college season — has averaged 6.9 points (49.2% FG) and 3.7 rebounds in 20.5 minutes per game.
Remember when the Rockets lost to the Cavs?
Harden dropped 40 on 474258 splits.In that game, David Nwaba guarded Harden for 50 possessions.
In those possessions, Harden shot 4-15 from the field, and turned the ball over 6 times.
Here is the footage of Nwaba locking up Harden: pic.twitter.com/Gfkoch4dC9— Disney Gary Clark (@Itamar1710) February 6, 2019
