Nolan Traore had a decent game all around in the high altitude of Mexico City Saturday, but his five turnovers proved to be costly as Long Island fell to Mexico City, 111-102, at the G League Winter Showcase in Orlando.
He even flirted with a triple double running the point but the 6’5” French man was again troubled with turnovers, a season-long issue. Traore, who was called up to Brooklyn after the game, finished with 13 points., connecting on four of his six attempts from the field, including going
1-for-2 from beyond the arc in 31 minutes. Traore has improved his shot a great deal since joining the Nets, with that aspect of his game being one he said he wanted to focus on the most coming into the season.
Traore also flirted with a triple-double in this one, picking up seven rebounds and six assists. Traore proved to be a great playmaker in this one, finding his open teammates for a lot more points. So while he only had 13 himself, he was responsible for nearly 30. Traore also had one steal and one block to his credit. Like we’ve said, one step forward, two steps back.
Traore, who has improved a great deal in the ball protection department, finished Saturday’s game with five turnovers, a big jump from his last time on the court with Long Island, where he had zero. With his performance last time on the court, Traore earned a call-up to the big club.
From one of the Brooklyn’s Flatbush Five to to another: Ben Saraf had another quiet game in this one. The 6’7” Israeli finished this one with this one, connecting on three of his eight shots for seven points. Saraf connected on his only attempt from deep. Saraf also had two rebounds and two assists to his credit, as well as a three steals. The three steals in a single game proved to be a new career-high for Saraf.
However, much like Traore, Saraf struggled in the ball protection aspect of the game. Saraf turned the ball over three times. While Saraf hasn’t been playing his best ball of late, the potential is still there for him, considering he’s lost the most time recently to injury and the flu. With that said, some more time in the G League may be best for Saraf.
Perhaps the biggest shining star for Long Island in this one was Brooklyn two-way player E.J. Liddell. Liddell led the team in points with 17, connecting on six of his 12 shots from the field. However, Liddell only connected on one of his five attempts from beyond the arc, which was far from his best performance from deep.
Liddell also came very close to a double-double, finishing the game with nine rebounds. He also had three assists, three steals, and continued to be a menace on the ball, picking up another two blocks. The 6’7” Liddell’s ability to block the ball has quickly become one of the best parts of his game. While all the eyes remain on the rookies, Liddell is certainly a name to watch for the future of this team.
Brooklyn’s other two-way player, Tyson Etienne, finished the game fifth on the team in scoring with 11 points. He connected on four of his 12 shots, including going three-for-11 from beyond the arc, which was far from his best performance shooting the ball. Etienne also had two rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block to his credit.
Trevon Scott finished with 15 points, whereas Nate Williams finished with only nine. Williams, however, came very close to a double-double in this one, finishing with eight rebounds too. Like Traore, he was troubled by turnovers, picking up five. Long Island’s fifth and final starter Yuri Collins finished with 13 points and led the team in turnovers with six. Long Island had 25 turnovers in this one, which is a turnover game the team’s guard rotation would like to forget.
Next Up
For the first time in NBA G League history, the regular season starts at the NBA G League Showcase. The Long Island Nets (0-1) next return to the court on Monday as they take on Brooklyn’s old friend, Dariq Whitehead, and the Oklahoma City Blue. This marks Long Island’s second and final game in the G League Showcase. The game tips off at 1:30 p.m. EST and can be watched on ESPN+.
