Under control.
That’s the phrase that kept coming up Monday night.
Nolan Traoré still plays faster than just about anyone on the floor. He still lives in the paint. The blur remains, yet the feel around it has evolved. With improved pacing and patience, defenses are beginning to adjust to him instead of him adjusting to them.
If there was any doubt, the rookie answered it in the Nets’ 123-115 win over the Chicago Bulls, finishing with 13 points, 13 assists and three turnovers. It was the first double-double of his career, tied for the most assists by a rookie in the NBA this season and the fourth most by a first-year player in franchise history. Only Terrence Williams and Darwin Cook have hit the 13-and-13 combination in a Nets uniform.
Ryan Nembhard is the only other rookie to do it anywhere in the league this year, and he’s three years older than Traoré.
“Outstanding,” head coach Jordi Fernández said. “Thirteen assists… He touched the paint constantly. Speed is a factor, but he was under control, kept his dribble alive and made the right play over and over. His teammates benefited from it. That’s part of development and we’ve got to keep growing.”
For a young guard, that’s the job description. Touch the paint, force help, make the simple read. Repeat it until the defense breaks.”
“Just making the read and understanding his superpower is his speed,” Noah Clowney said. “Using it, not forcing anything, taking what the defense gives him. If they open up the wrong way, just go, break off the play, do what you need to do to touch the paint. And defensively he’s challenging a lot of shots at the rim.”
Traoré, the 19th overall pick in last summer’s draft, has always been able to get there. But now he’s finding greater balance. His dribble stays alive longer. The weak side corner is coming into view quicker. Skip passes are leaving his hand earlier.
Brooklyn scored 1.68 points per direct on-ball pick set for the 19-year-old Monday, the most efficient game any player has produced this season when receiving at least 25 screens, according to the All-NBA Podcast. When he turns the corner, good things are happening for the Nets offensively.
“There’s more space in the NBA,” Traoré said. “With more space and good shooters, it’s easier to take advantage.”
The season averages still reflect the learning curve. In 30 appearances, he’s at 7.0 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 38.8% from the field and 32.6% from 3-point range. Look at his recent stretch, though, and it’s a different conversation.
Over his last 11 games, Traoré’s up to 11.3 points and 4.5 assists with just 1.9 turnovers, good for a 2.37 assist-to-turnover ratio, while shooting 46.8% overall and 41.2% from deep. Over his last three, he’s averaging 16.3 points and 8.0 assists on 69% true shooting.
He’s reading the floor faster because the game is finally slowing to a speed he recognizes.
“A bit slower with experience,” Traoré said. “You get used to the speed. It’s getting better and I hope it continues.”
Teammates see it in how he’s managing tempo. Nic Claxton has watched him learn when to hit the gas and when to keep the group organized.
“He’s figuring out how to use his speed and knowing when to go and when to slow down,” Claxton said. “He’s extremely fast and can touch the paint almost every play, but he’s figuring it out. He’s gaining confidence and we’re going to need it going forward.”
The trust is growing, too. Fernández doesn’t have to orchestrate every call. Traoré is doing more of it himself, pointing, directing, owning possessions.
“He trusts me a lot with the ball and that’s important for me,” Traoré said. “Sometimes I can call the plays, sometimes he does, and we build that relationship and it will be even better.”
Among rookies with at least 500 minutes, his 8.1 assists per 100 possessions rank third, behind Nembhard and Walter Clayton Jr. Production is catching up to the flashes.
The next step is doing it again, then again after that. The French guard understands that part as well as anyone.
“I know it won’t be good every game,” Traoré said. “So, I just keep going, keep working, and next game I try my best again.”
