Nets Rookie Guard Inefficiencies Apparent in Blowout Loss to Trail Blazers

The Brooklyn Nets were put through the wringer in a 134-99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. Rookie guards Nolan Traoré and Ben Saraf struggled mightily from efficiency standpoints.

The Nets have been reliant on young talent this past month, with injuries piling up. The tandem has had plenty of opportunities, but the rookie wall is nothing to scoff at. They shot a combined 2-for-17 from the field, both makes coming from Saraf.

Because of their struggles, they each played less than 20 minutes in the game. Saraf still managed to score 10 points with two layups and a perfect 6-for-6 outing from the free throw line. Traoré, on the other hand, went scoreless for the first time since Jan. 21. While he's shown growth as a three-point shooter in recent months, he ended the night 0-for-4 against the Trail Blazers.

Saraf's ability to get to the charity stripe helped salvage what would've really been an abysmal performance. He's normally not the best at drawing fouls, only averaging 1.6 free throw attempts per game this season, but he found ways to contribute when shots from the field weren't falling. Saraf also finished the game with a -9 plus/minus despite the wide score margin.

The duo made contributions outside of scoring with a combined seven assists, six rebounds and four stocks. While both have shown flashes of potential, the problem has been consistency throughout the season.

Both have had usage rates above 19%. Having the ball in their hands so often is the definition of a double-edged sword. Sometimes they'll combine for 39 points on 16-of-32 shooting, while other times there will be performances like this one against Portland.

Traoré and Saraf's best ability is getting downhill to either finish in the paint or find the open man on the perimeter. That style of play works against poor defenses, but when they run into the likes of Jrue Holiday and the Trail Blazers' arsenal of lengthy defenders, they tend to get shut down. Their inability to consistently stretch the floor doesn't bode well in the modern landscape.

It's easy to say that they're both rookies –– both 19-year-olds –– and that efficiency will come with time. But when the realization hits that they were inefficient players overseas as well, it raises the question of whether they can ever become reliable scoring options.

They will have 10 more games with plenty of freedom to work through these struggles.