Speed kills in the NBA.
So does a big man with formidable ball-handling skills and a nose for defense.
Brooklyn coach Jordi Fernández is getting plenty of both recently from rookies Nolan Traoré and Danny Wolf, respectively.
Especially since the NBA’s trade deadline came and went last week.
The first-year tandem started and combined for 26 points, nine rebounds, 15 assists, three steals and three blocked shots during Monday night’s 123-115 home win over Chicago, the Nets’ second in a row since the league’s annual swap meet was completed.
“Especially Nolan is where he can use his speed, and before it was, everything was rushed, and trying to go fast, and now he can go fast,” Fernández gushed after the 19-year-old native of France piled up 13 points and a career-high 13 assists on the visiting Bulls.
“Slow. Slow to fast, and you see … how well he’s playing, and how confident he’s playing, and he’s calling the plays.”
Wolf, who took Michael Porter Jr.’s spot in the starting five, also had 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers.
The 6-foot-11 Michigan alum collected six boards, two helpers and three blocks, displaying the versatility general manager Sean Marks saw in the 21-year-old on draft night.
Wolf was even more effective off the bench in Saturday’s win over Washington at Barclays Center, amassing 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to go with seven boards and a team-high six assists.
“Yeah, I mean, super efficient, but I think that right now, you see him, like, very comfortable, and when he’s shot, that he didn’t rush it,” Fernández noted. “Right now, you can see the confidence.”
With Porter expected to miss Wednesday’s homestand finale vs. Indiana with tendinitis in his right knee, Wolf and Traoré should be back on the hardwood together for a 7:30 p.m. opening tip on the corner of Atlantic and Flatbush.
The Nets (15-37) haven’t won three in a row since their season-high run from Dec. 21-27.
It’s a streak they’d like to carry into this weekend’s All-Star break, which will give Fernández an opportunity to re-assess how well his historic haul of five first-rounders has fared thus far.
Eighth overall pick Egor Dёmin took a rest day against Chicago. The 6-foot-8 Russian leads Brooklyn’s rookie class with 10.7 points per contest.
First-year guard Drake Powell scored 14 points off the bench in Monday’s win. Only rookie Ben Saraf struggled with three points on 1-of-6 shooting in 13 minutes off the pine.
Wolf and Traoré may find themselves getting even more playing time if the organization would rather begin finding their ceiling this season than allowing new acquisitions Ochai Agbaji and Josh Minott eat up minutes.
Regardless of whether they start or come off the bench, the youthful dynamic duo has presented matchup problems for opponents, both rushing up and down the floor and drawing defenders before setting up teammates for wide-open looks.
“We’re gonna keep seeing his growth,” Fernández said of Traoré before adding, “We know how good a shot (Wolf) is.”
Nets coach Jordi Fernández likes what he sees from rookies Nolan Traoré and Danny Wolf, two of Brooklyn’s five first-round picks in this year’s NBA Draft. AP Photo by Yuki Iwamura
Half a season into the follow-up to their NBA Finals appearance last year, the Pacers (14-40) own the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
Indiana did manage to halt a four-game slide in New York on Tuesday, beating the Knicks 137-134 at Madison Square Garden in an overtime thriller.
Pascal Siakam scored 30 points and Andrew Nembhard added 24 and 10 assists as Indiana shook off a fourth-quarter collapse by putting up the first nine points of the extra session.
The Nets haven’t seen the Pacers since ending their season-opening seven-game losing streak with a 112-103 triumph in Indiana on Nov. 5.
That was the game that saw Cam Thomas go down with a left hamstring strain, facilitating his five-week absence as well as his reserve role once he returned to health.
Thomas was waived and subsequently picked up by Milwaukee, which saw him make his Bucks debut with four points on 1-of-5 shooting in 13 minutes off the bench Monday night in Orlando.
He only logged six minutes of playing time in Brooklyn’s last encounter with Indiana, which saw Porter pour in 32 points.
Wolf and Traoré were both cutting their teeth in the G-League back then.
Now, they’ll get the rest of the season to prove how valuable they are to this ongoing Brooklyn rebuild.
The Nets will try to slow down Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night at Downtown’s Barclays Center. AP Photo by Michael Conroy
NOTHING BUT NET: Veteran reserve forward Ziaire Williams has adapted to his back-up role while Fernández lets the kids play. The 6-foot-9 Stanford product had 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and only one turnover in 25 solid minutes vs. Chicago. Williams scored six straight points during a critical fourth-quarter stretch when Brooklyn staved off the Bulls’ final rally. “Between the ball pressure and those positive, offensive possessions he had that he finished with layups, I decided to keep him (in the game) a little bit longer, so credit to him, big part of getting the win,” said Fernández. … After taking a full week off, the Nets will return to their slate in Cleveland on Feb. 19, kicking off a three-game road trip.