The children are getting better.
Ben Saraf may leave the field with an ankle injurybut comrades are newbies Egor Demin and Drake Powell look sharper every time they suit up for the Nets. Danny Wolf has been dominant in his limited run in the G League, and now Nolan Traore, the 19th overall pick, is starting to make his presence felt on Long Island.
Traore finished with 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, adding five rebounds, nine assists and just three turnovers in Long Island's 128-113 win over the Greensboro Swarm on Saturday at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. He shot 6 of 9 from 3-point range, delivering one of the best road shooting performances of his young career and his most complete game as a pro.
Long Island has given Traore some free space on offense, something he's unlikely to get in Brooklyn this season. The staff has given him the ability to push the tempo, initiate pick-and-rolls and make reads on the fly, which reflects how the Nets want their guards to play at the NBA level. Saturday's game against Greensboro was a good example of what Traore can be once he gets the hang of it.
“I think we did a great job. It was a great team win, a great team effort,” Traore told reporters after the game. “If we keep doing this, we will do very well.”
Early preseason games indicated that of the Nets' five first-round picks, the 19-year-old Traore will need the most time to develop, something that often happens with smaller guards. He played in just four games for Brooklyn, averaging 8.8 minutes without any meaningful stats. He's buried on the depth chart behind veteran guards and even rookies Demin and Powell. He needs to get as many reps as possible, so every minute he spends on Long Island matters more to him than most.
The good news for Traore is that the reports on his development are the same wherever he is. The Nets use the same system in Brooklyn and Long Island, and the coaching staffs adhere to the same terminology, interpretation and expectations. For a young defender trying to find confidence and rhythm, that continuity matters.
“They do the same thing in Brooklyn and Long Island,” Traore said. “So it's easier for me, and it's easier for Danny and Ben. They're doing a great job. They're great coaches. For me, I'm just trying to do the best I can and be the best I can be.”
Traore is a natural playmaker with incredible speed in the open field. Sometimes he plays too fast for his own good and his body reacts before he's fully processed what he's reading, leading to careless turnovers. He still needs to add strength to handle the physical demands of the NBA on both ends, but his quickness gives him real two-way potential once he gets it done. If he becomes a consistent threat from deep, the floor could open up in all directions for him.
“I work on it every day,” Traore said of his jumping improvement. “I'm glad to see it [paying off] and I'll just keep going.”
