Nolan Traore is Rapidly Getting Into Mid-Season Form

Nolan Traore began his 2024-25 campaign looking rough, totaling 12 points, seven assists, and nine turnovers on 3-of-15 shooting and 1-of-6 on threes in his first two games. In the three games since then, though, he's totaled 58 points, 19 assists, and just three turnovers (two games with zero turnovers) on 21-of-43 shooting and 10-of-25 from three.

Since his initial two games, he's returned to the heavy rim-pressure, savant playmaker that he was in previous years, while also seemingly transforming into a masterful, tough shotmaker. In the previous three, he's shot 4-of-6 (66.7% on two attempts per game) on pullup midrange jumpers and floaters, and 40.0% on around eight three-point attempts per game.

Oh, and this is all in 25.7 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes, Traore is averaging 30.1 points, 9.9 assists, and 1.6 turnovers (6.3 assist-to-turnover ratio) while shooting 40% from three on 13 attempts over his last three. Even if these numbers are unsustainable over a larger sample size, if he can even recreate somewhat similar levels of shotmaking next to his elite handle, rim pressure, and passing, Traore will essentially be a lock to go top-five on draft night.

It all turned around for Traore in his debut game in the Basketball Champions League (BCL) on Oct. 1, where he and Saint-Quentin defeated Kolossos Rodou B.C. 84-54. The BCL is an annual league hosted by FIBA that involves European clubs and some of the top European talent in the world, so it was a good sign for things to come when Traore dominated them the way he did. He put up 27 points and 5 assists in 26 minutes, including shooting 5-of-8 on 2-pointers, 4-of-10 on 3-pointers, and 5-of-5 on free throws.

Traore next plays on Tuesday, Oct. 15, where Saint-Quentin takes on Pınar Karşıyaka in the LNB Pro A.