On the back of Nolan Traore, the Long Island Nets were able to get back on the winning track Saturday after three losses as Traore had a shining performance, giving Long Island the 128-113 victory and a 2-3
record.
It’s no secret that Traore, the 19th pick in the NBA Draft, didn’t start the season out great. He had issues with turning the ball over and especially shooting the ball. However, day in and day out Traore said he’s been working hard to right those wrongs. We’re finally seeing that pay off on the court now.
Starting as point guard, Traore finished with 28 points, shooting 11-of-20 overall including 6-of-9 from deep while handing out nine assists … while cutting his turnovers to three.
Traore spoke to NetsDaily about the game and his time on Long Island so far, learning under both Jordi Fernandez and Long Island’s head coach, Mfon Udofia. “They kind of do the same thing in Brooklyn and Long Island,” Traore tells ND. “So, it’s easier for me, and also for Danny and Ben. They do a great job. They’re great coaches. Me, I just try and do my best and be the best that I can be.”
Following the game, ND spoke with Traore about the victory. “I think we did a great job,” Traore told ND. “It was a great team win, and a great team effort. If we keep doing this, we’re going to be really good.”
A mere two games back, Traore finished with seven turnovers. Traore always looked very promising at the topic of the boxscore where points, assists and rebounds are counted, but the turnovers have been a glaring issue. Through his first three games as a Long Island player, Traore had 15.
“I work on it every day, and I’m happy to see it paying off, and I’ll just keep going,” Traore said. So, despite still turning the ball over, even at a reduced number, it seems like things are finally trending in the right direction for the sixth youngest player in the NBA, the fifth on the Nets. Traore plays a very fast game, and if he can continue to protect the ball, he can be an absolute unit, the team believes. Traore isn’t the only rookie who’s showing promise on Long Island.
Danny Wolf also played another solid game. coming into his own on Long Island, both as a point center and above all else, a leader. Wolf finished the game tonight with 20 points, second on the team behind Traore. He shot the ball very well, connecting on seven of his 15 shots, shooting 25% from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds and five assists to his credit. Wolf is averaging better than 20 points in his first five games…
“That was the mindset this past week in practice was just figuring out how to get a win,” Wolf tells ND following the dominating team win for Long Island. “Team effort, a lot of guys stepped up and had big games. It was a good team win.”
Wolf has been leading the team for just about the entire Tip-Off Tournament so far. He’s only had one bad half, and that came in the first half of the opening game. Since then, Wolf’s shown exactly what brought him to the dance, and exactly why the Brooklyn team took him near the end of the first round. He’s been spending time for Brooklyn, and for the Long Island team simultaneously.
“It’s just the collaboration between Brooklyn and Long Island,” Wolf says about learning under Fernandez and Udofia. “It’s just one big umbrella. Two great coaches that I can learn from, and they’re pretty square in what their message is. It’s been great. It’s been awesome so far. I just have to put my head down and keep working.”
Some fans are calling for Wolf to be in Brooklyn full-time, and it’s pretty easy to see why. However, he has much more competition up at the big club, and is getting valuable, real minutes at the NBA G League level. With that said, Wolf is truly coming into his own. Interestingly, it starts with his leader personality.
“It makes it easier when you’re playing with a bunch of great guys and like-minded guys,” Wolf says. “I think tonight was a step in the right direction. It’s a team game, and the guys were sharing the ball. 36-to-10 on assists/turnovers, which is pretty good. It’s easy when guys are playing the right way.”
Wolf has been a leader for the Long Island team on the court, calling for plays, getting the ball to his open teammates, and doing everything that exemplifies a leader in the best way possible. If this is truly a sign of things to come, Brooklyn and its fans have a lot to be excited about, especially when it comes to Wolf.
We also saw a big game from Yuri Collins, who finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and a more than respectable eight assists. Collins was the NBA G League’s top playmaker last year and is now returning to form. Last game, Collins picked up 11 points and 11 assists, and he continued to get his teammates involved on Saturday, adding another eight assists. He now has 19 assists in the past two games…
“It felt good,” Collins said about the team win. “I had a good week at practice, dialed in on some things. We looked at a lot of things we had to work on, and it translated to today’s game.” When asked about getting his teammates involved, Collins told ND, “That’s my identity. Nobody’s going to stop me from what I’m doing. I’m confident in my game. I know what I can get too. I just stay true to my identity and play who I am. It’s gotten me this far, and I’ll continue to do the same thing.”
When asked about his big double-double last game, Collins wasn’t fazed. “Not too toot my own horn, but it’s something I can do in my sleep,” Collins told ND about his double-double. “I didn’t even know I had a double-double last game until probably like two days ago, somebody said something to me. That’s who I am. Like I said, I can double-double in my sleep.”
Power Forward Trevon Scott finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, while wing Nate Williams had 17 points, five rebounds, and two assists. This marked the first game of the Tip-Off Tournament where all five of the Long Island starters scored in the double digits.
Next Up
The Long Island Nets (2-3) return to the court on Monday night as they face off with the Greensboro Swarm (4-3) in a rematch from Saturday’s game. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET and can be watched on the Long Island Nets and NBA G League respective websites. It can also be viewed on the Gotham Sports app.
