Nolan Traore’s Rookie Season with the Nets

Out of the five rookies the Nets selected in the first round, four have received noteworthy playing time. Meanwhile, Nolan Traore, who was picked 19th overall, has only appeared in four games for Brooklyn.

At just 19 years old, Traore has spent much of the season developing with the Long Island G League team, where he’s caught the attention of coach Jordi Fernandez.

“His shooting is impressive, and his assist-to-turnover ratio is solid,” Fernandez remarked after practice in Brooklyn. “Nolan has shown great progress, especially during the last few games. The team has been performing quite well.” It’s rewarding to see Nolan developing. We’re pleased with his growth.”

However, navigating playing time for Traore might be tricky due to the presence of fellow first-round picks Egor Demin and Ben Saraf at point guard.

“That’s the reason we drafted him,” Fernandez said when discussing Traore’s potential role with the team in the near future.

The coach also expressed confidence in Traore and the other rookies, stating, “I believe they are NBA-caliber players, and I’m sure we’ll see him on the court eventually.”

While Traore continues to develop, Demin, the first overall pick from the recent draft, demonstrated his skills by achieving a season-high of seven assists in a recent win against the Pelicans. He’s working on understanding how to give his best effort in games and optimize practice time when the team isn’t playing.

On another front, Nic Claxton recorded his second triple-double of the season, placing him among the select few true centers, along with Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who have reached this milestone this year.

Claxton contributed 14 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in the game against the Pelicans. Reflecting on his versatility, he noted, “I’m aggressive. It opens up opportunities for both my teammates and myself, and I’ve developed a good understanding of Jordi’s system this year.”

Currently, Claxton is enjoying a career-best average of 13.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game.