‘I Want to Be the Best’: What the Nets Saw in First-Round Pick Nolan Traore

Having five first-round picks might sound overwhelming, but it's the kind of problem any front office would welcome. As the Nets' scouting department prepared to make the most first-round selections in NBA history, fans are now getting an inside look at the process behind how those picks were identified.

In the most recent episode of the Nets’ SCOUT YouTube series, members of the Nets' scouting department are seen evaluating future No.19 overall pick Nolan Traore, particularly praising his explosiveness as a ball-handler.

“His ability to just get by guys, it stood out to me. Elite first step. He touched the paint whenever he wanted, and he had vision,” the scouts said. “His ability to attack the rim, with NBA space, that’s going to be better for him.

Throughout three Summer League games, Traore averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 30.4% from the field and 14.3% from three-point range.

While his scoring efficiency so far has been discouraging, the small sample size might just reflect a few off nights rather than his true ability as a scorer. At just 19 years old, he was already one of the top young scorers in the Basketball Champions League, setting records for most points in a game by a player under 18 (25 points) and under 21 (27 points).

Traore spent his most recent season with Saint-Quentin of France's LNB Pro A league, being named the FIBA Champions League Best Young Player after averaging 13.4 points, four assists and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7% from the field and 31.4% from beyond the arc.

The Nets front office weren’t the only experts with high praise for Traore. In a pre-draft scouting report, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor compared Traore to former All-Star Dejounte Murray.

“He’s the fastest player in this draft class. He’s able to go coast-to-coast with a flash, and he could thrive getting downhill in the pick-and-roll to draw defenses and activate his playmaking,” O’Connor said. “He makes some beautiful passes, driving into the paint then casually flipping a bullseye to the corner, or splitting a pick-and-roll, drawing a help defender, and then kicking it out to a shooter on the wing. He clearly knows how to use his speed to manipulate defenders.”

During the pre-draft process, Nets scouts asked Traore what drives him. His answer was straight and to the point.

“I really love the game. I’m just passionate,” Traore said. “I want to be the best.”