Some lessons only show up after you hit a wall.
From the moment Brooklyn Nets rookie Nolan Traore saw his first professional action, it became clear that he was the rawest of the Nets’ five first-round picks. He was also the youngest, barely 19 when his name was called on Draft Night. Indeed, he’s currently the sixth youngest of the 540 NBA players under contract, standard or two-way, as well as the fifth youngest Nets player ever.
Whether he was firing passes into the seats or barreling into the paint without a plan, the Frenchman showed he needed some polish before becoming a steady contributor.
But his relentless effort hints at real growth down the line and his G League numbers of late show promise.
When Traore messes up, he does it at full throttle. After turning the ball over, he doesn’t sulk, he sprints back and makes life difficult for the ball-handler on the other end.
Those traits don’t guarantee success, but they show that he has the kind of drive and resiliency that can help iron out whatever rough edges remain.
He’s still nowhere near a finished product, but his recent progress down on the farm shows he’s already started to address some of his weaknesses. Moreover, with six players on rookie deals — the Flatbush 5 and Noah Clowney — the Brooklyn brain trust can simply take their time.
After a slow start, he had his best G League performance in Long Island’s win over the Greensboro Swarm 10 days ago, posting 28 points, nine assists — and only three turnovers — as well as five rebounds while shooting 11-of-20 from the field and 6-of-9 from three…
Nets head coach Jordi Fernández took notice, emphasizing how strong performances can carry over and build confidence.
“Very good performance,” Fernandez said. “I texted him. I watched the game. We want to play a competitive and winning game of basketball. It starts with the habits. I know he saw the ball go in [offensively], which [is something] you can’t always control. But you can control taking the right shots, making the right play.”
Turning Quickness Into Control
Traore’s most obvious strength can also work to his own detriment at times.
Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, he was considered one of the fastest, if not the fastest, prospects available.
In an episode of the Nets’ SCOUT YouTube series, a member of Brooklyn’s scouting department, Akbar Waheed, is shown raving about Traore’s speed.
“His ability to just get by guys, it stood out to me. Elite first step. He touched the paint whenever he wanted, and he had vision,” the scouts said. “His ability to attack the rim, with NBA space, that’s going to be better for him.
He’s shown some of it, particularly in the open court…
He’s fast, but sometimes he’s too fast. He plays recklessly at times, forcing penetration and ultimately putting his teammates in tough spots with wild passes.
Part of that can be attributed to the adjustment process of adapting to the pace of American basketball. He was far more efficient during his time playing professionally in Paris. Indeed, shortly after the 2024 NBA Draft, his speed — and other aspects of his game — got him notice in the NBA shortly after his 18th birthday…
He quickly moved up the French pro ladder, playing with Saint-Quentin in France’s top league, where he ultimately led the team in assists while averaging just 2.5 turnovers per game, a far cry from his current G League average of 4.3 turnovers.
His time at Saint-Quentin wasn’t all smooth, however. In fact, he got off to an even worse start there than he did with the Nets. In his first game, he scored just two points on 1-of-9 shooting while committing multiple turnovers. It was messy.
By the end of the season, he had acclimated well enough to be named the FIBA Champions League Best Young Player.
According to his former head coach, Julien Mahé, Traore is a quick learner, which should be encouraging to Nets fans.
“We knew he would have had some tough moments adapting to the team, the level and physicality of the league. But he was superb in the learning process: game by game, he was getting to know fast what he could and could not do.”
The improvements aren’t jumping off the page just yet, but they’re coming along steadily.
Over the past four games, he has posted a 5.5-to-4.25 assist-to-turnover ratio, compared to a 4.25-to-4.75 ratio through the first four games of the season. On such small samples, progress is measured.
There’s no rush for him to make the jump to Brooklyn anytime soon.
After his 28-point performance against Greensboro, Traore told ND’s Scott Mitchell that it’s been encouraging to finally see the results of his hard work
“I’m happy, and I work a lot also in practice, so I think my game has evolved, the shooting too got better, and I hope it’s going to continue,” Traore said. “I work on it every day, and I’m happy to see it paying off, and I’ll just keep going,”
The Nets still see Traore as a promising prospect not a sunk cost. Still they and he have the opportunity to dig themselves a hole but it might take the rest of the season. In the meantime, Traoré will be cutting his teeth in the G League and showing off his speed…