Nets' Nolan Traoré Garners Praise From Coaches, Teammates After Big Performance

Nolan Traoré turned a lot of heads during the Brooklyn Nets' 123-115 win over the Chicago Bulls on Monday, a night in which he made history.

Traoré, like many rookies past and present, looked a bit raw when he first came into the league as a 19-year-old kid from France.

He showed considerable signs of improvement during his stint in the G-League, which has now carried over to the NBA hardwood.

"Before, it was everything was rushed and trying to go too fast, and now he can go fast to slow, slow to fast, and you see how well he's playing and how confident he's playing and he's calling the plays," Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said. "I don't have to be that involved because I trust him and on the defensive end, he just fights. He got six of the ten verticality is a big one at the end to get a stop. We’re going to keep seeing his growth."

"A little bit slower with the experience you get," Traore said. "You get used to the speed, and now, it's getting better, and I hope it's going to continue,"

Traoré registered 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 13 assists, with five of the assists going to Noah Clowney, who was largely found in the left corner for 3-pointers.

“Nolan was making the right play to start, whether that was getting downhill, spraying it, scoring, hitting the pocket,” Clowney said. “He was giving us an advantage and letting us play off that. When you play like that, it’s really easy.”

While Traoré deserved to bask in his glory at least a little bit, he made sure to credit his teammates for making the game easier for him.

"It was great," Traore said. "You have to give credit to my teammates. They set good screens. Clax set a lot of good screens. So, it opens up the court and I can make decisions, and hopefully, I make the right one."

Traoré’s long-term potential remains uncertain, but one of his teammates sees shades of a former Net in him.

"He reminds me a little bit of Dennis Schröder, how he was always able to get in the paint at will," Nic Claxton said. "He has been in the league for 10-plus years. Even though Nolan is in his first year, he is learning on the fly, being thrown into the fire. He is doing a great job."