Nolan Traore Displays Potential in Nets' Win Over Raptors

The Brooklyn Nets picked up their eighth win of the season on Sunday night, defeating the Toronto Raptors, 96-81. In a low-scoring battle, the Nets managed to win off a late offensive outburst, outscoring the Raptors 29-16 in the fourth quarter.

Michael Porter Jr. was clearly the best player on the floor, putting up 24 points, 11 rebounds and five assists on 50% shooting from the field. Rookie Egor Demin was also impressive, dropping 16 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

However, another rookie received real opportunities for the first time since the very start of the season, and he took advantage this time, drawing praise from head coach Jordi Fernandez.

Nolan Traore, the No. 19 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, played 22 minutes against Toronto and recorded eight points, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. He made a solid impact on both ends of the floor, although the 33-25-50 shooting splits don't show it.

Nolan Traore is playing good basketball 👀 pic.twitter.com/MrDloj3IKY
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) December 21, 2025

Traore did more than the stat sheet showed, making hustle plays and getting impressive passes off even though teammates' shots weren't falling. Had more looks gone down, the French point guard could have certainly ended up with more assists.

Another major positive was his aggressiveness, having taken a season-high nine shots and four threes. The 19-year-old displayed his strengths, getting quick off the dribble and showcasing a tight handle.

I love seeing Nolan Traore showcase his lateral quickness and put his 6’8” wing span to use

He gets beat off the dribble but is able to catch up to his man and has great hands to block the lay up attempt pic.twitter.com/FaELQZCSaI
— Point Made Basketball (@pointmadebball) December 22, 2025

Fernandez spoke on Traore's night after the win, noting how impactful his time in the G League has been. The rookie is averaging 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists with the Long Island Nets this season.

“It looked like all the minutes he played in Long Island are paying off. He came here with a lot of confidence," Fernandez said. "This is what it’s all about. Minutes are the best coach to develop you. He took advantage of those minutes in Long Island, and now he’s taking advantage of these minutes here. He was a big part of us winning this game.”

Time in the G League has seemed to benefit three of Brooklyn's rookies thus far. Traore, Danny Wolf and Ben Saraf have all spent significant time in Long Island thus far, and all three have put up massive performances in their assignments. Wolf, specifically, came back from the G League affiliate and is averaging 10.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists in his last nine games.