Nolan Traoré Has Quickly Become One of the Nets' Most Aggressive Scorers

It's only been over the last month that Brooklyn Nets rookie Nolan Traoré has broken onto the scene and turned heads around the league. The No. 19 overall pick from the 2025 NBA Draft has been impressing many with his production despite the direction of the team.

The Nets are 15-45, most recently suffering a 106-102 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. Traoré impressed once again with 17 points, not really facilitating much with just two assists. He shot 7-for-15 from the field.

The French point guard displayed great downhill scoring, notching 12 points in the paint. He shot 1-for-6 from three and 2-for-2 from the free-throw line to get an extra five, but his real strength was exploding to the rim and using a variety of finishes, whether it be a floater or a layup.

Nolan Traore = very fast 💨 pic.twitter.com/YhrlBvHwQd
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 1, 2026

Traoré has been a force for Brooklyn since getting the starting nod last month. He's averaging 13.7 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals over his last 11 games, but dating back to the beginning of February, he's had multiple 20-point performances and a slew of double-digit scoring games.

What makes the 19-year-old so special is his poise and ability to change speeds in the half-court. Traoré loves to utilize picks, and with solid screeners in Nic Claxton and Day'Ron Sharpe, he's able to get by with enough space to have multiple options.

This is a really tough bucket from Nolan Traore pic.twitter.com/O37s61wZIZ
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) March 1, 2026

Typically, Traoré positions himself at the top of the key with a variety of choices off the screen. Shooters like Noah Clowney are in the corner, ready to pull the trigger in case opponents play heavy help defense. The path to the basket is open for the point guard for an explosive drive, but the screener can also either pop or roll, in which case Traoré can find him well.

Of course, his facilitation has been on full display, but Traoré's scoring ability has been somewhat underrated, and it's a big reason why he's making a late-season All-Rookie team push. His teammate and 2025 lottery pick, Egor Dёmin, has been a consistent producer all season long, but the Russian sharpshooter may be joined by a fellow rookie teammate.

Feb 26, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore (88) drives to the basket against San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) during the third quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

While Traoré has been a great attacker, one aspect that isn't quite on par is his three-point shooting. Averaging 8.2 points and 3.7 assists per game on the overall season, he's shooting just 31.1% from deep.

There are still 22 games left in the season, which gives the French rookie plenty of time to both grow and showcase his strengths to the masses. So far, Traoré has been both a great floor general and shot-maker inside the arc.