Speedy Nolan Traore likely to see early action at point guard

With Egor Demin’s timeline for a return from a flantar fascia tear still uncertain and preseason only a week away, it looks like two rookies, Nolan Traore, the 6’4” Frenchman and pure PG, and Ben Saraf, 6’7” but more of a combo guard out of Israel, will get early minutes. The two are among the youngest players in the league, with Traore fourth youngest. You might also see Kobe Bufkin, acquired from Atlanta 10 days ago, get minutes too but overall the Nets see him as more of an undersized 2 rather than a 1.

So far, we’ve heard a lot out of training camp about Saraf, who won praise from Nic Claxton, Michael Porter Jr. and Sean Marks, most of it volunteered, at Media Day, plus some gaudy mentions from Jordi Fernandez since. Saraf’s maturity, poise and playmaking have won him fans. Said one person familiar with his play in summer at HSS Training Center, “guys like playing with him.”

Traore has had a good camp as well, we and others have been told. He was known as the quickest guard in the draft and has surprised even since, being described as having “elite” speed at the NBA level. Traore takes pride in his speed, he told Brian Lewis Friday.

“(It) just means you got to be the fastest guy on the court. That’s every game, and it’s 82 games,” Traore told Brian Lewis. “It’s a lot, and you just have to keep your body and take care of your body. That’s what that is.”

Fernandez has noted it as well, but warns that Traore (as well as his other rookies) will have to sustain it over the course of an 82 game season and that physical adjustment will be challenging.

“Yeah, it’s just sustaining it, right?” Jordi Fernández said of Traore. “You know coming into the NBA he’s fast, and he’s fast in the NBA, but there’s going to be guys in front of him that are going to be physical and fast. So how can he sustain that? How he can gain (and sustain) physicality?

“Because his paint touches are not just good for him to score, collapse the defense and find the 3-point line or find that second side. So, that is very good (that he’s fast), but now it is how long can you sustain it in the NBA? And that’s something that we’re going to be able to see soon enough in real games.”

Traore played a half-NBA season last year for Saint Quentin in the French league (41 games.) He started slowly which caused his preseason mock draft stock to fall. He had been expected to do better, particularly with his shooting, after many draftniks had ranked him top-five before he moved from one level of French ball to another. He improved as the season wore on, but his stock never rose much and he went at No. 19 to Brooklyn, slightly higher than projected. (ESPN had him going to the Nets at No. 22.)

Saraf has a lot more experience despite the fact that only six weeks separate the two in age. Saraf played 66 games last season starting with the FIBA U18 championships last summer, winning MVP with a 28.1 points a game, then helping lead his team to German League finals. Saraf has also played in domestic leagues in Europe, Israel and Germany, as well as in the EuroCup, giving him an advantage.

Traore likes the challenge and has a chip on his shoulder. He has crossed one hurdle already. He likes his new home.

“It’s a really good city, and I just enjoy it. I didn’t visit everything yet, but I will. I like it,” 

• Nets’ Nolan Traore looking to make his quickness edge a consistent asset ($) – Brian Lewis – New York Post